Robert K. Dawson

Education

Willamette University College of Law, Salem Oregon, May 1978.
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, June 1975.
Lake Stevens High School, 1971.

Attorney Rating

"AV Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. This rating means that Mr. Dawson has been rated by Judges and by his fellow attorneys as having a Very High to Preeminent rating for legal ability, and that Mr. Dawson embraces faithful adherence to ethical standards, professional reliability and diligence. The "AV" rating is awarded to less than 10% of all attorneys nationally and is the highest rating offered by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Honors

“Best Lawyers in America Publication:” Bob Dawson is listed among the “Best Lawyers in America” The “Best Lawyers in America” publication is regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. The Best Lawyer lists are compiled through an exhaustive review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the United States confidentially evaluate their peers.

Washington “Super Lawyer” as selected by Law and Politics Magazine. More than 20,000 ballots were sent to lawyers across Washington asking them to vote for the best lawyers they have personally observed in action. The final list of “Super Lawyers” represents four percent of the lawyers licensed to practice in Washington. Bob Dawson was one of them.

Seattle “Super Lawyer” as selected by Law and Politics Magazine. Bob Dawson was named as one of the top 50 lawyers in Seattle.

AVVO

The nationwide attorney rating service “AVVO.com” has awarded Bob their highest rating, a “Ten".

Alvin Anderson Award. Bob Dawson was the first recipient of the Alvin Anderson Award presented by the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association honoring generosity of spirit. It was presented to Robert K. Dawson "in recognition and appreciation of his extraordinary commitment, energy, and effort in helping generate the economic resources necessary to enable the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association to promote and preserve the civil justice system."

In 2010 the Washington State Attorneys for Justice (WSAJ) chose Bob to receive the “Pilar of Justice” award, in recognition of his work advancing the cause of justice through his educational efforts in the practice of law and his service in mentoring other lawyers and law students.

Offices Held

• President, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (WSTLA), now WSAJ, 1997-1998.
  At 3,500 members the WSAJ, formerly WSTLA is the fifth largest state trial lawyer organization in the nation. WSTLA seeks to train lawyers to better serve the public through its 20 legal seminars a year, to encourage the highest standards of ethical conduct by attorneys, and to lobby the legislature for better laws for injured people. Bob Dawson was the President of WSTLA in 1997 and has been on the WSTLA Board of Directors since 1990.
• Lecturer, University of Washington, 1980-present.
• Bob Dawson has taught an Introduction to Law Course at the University of Washington since 1980.
• Board of Advisors, SAFECO Settlement Now Board, 1991-1997.
• Co-chair, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Downtown Seattle Roundtable, 1989-1991.
• Member, Bench/Bar Delay Reduction Task Force for King County, 1988-1989.
  This task force is generally credited with making changes in the way cases are handled in King County and reducing the time to trial in a civil case from 34 months to 17 months, without the use of additional taxes.
• Board of Directors, King County Rape Relief, 1978-1982.
  King County Rape Relief (Now known as the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center) provides services to thousands of rape victims in King County each year.

Memberships

• Damages Attorneys Roundtable (DART)Membership is limited to 25 lawyers in the State of Washington and are deemed to be in the top 5% of Washington State trial lawyers. DART was founded to secure justice through the shared knowledge of advocacy.

• Washington State Attorneys for Justice (formerly WSTLA)WSAJ is the fifth largest trial lawyer organization in the nation. At 3500 members WSAJ is active in improving the law through lobbying efforts in the State Legislature and in the Courts, as well as educating lawyers to better try cases and serve the public. Bob Dawson was President of WSTLA in 1997-1998.The mission of the Washington State Attorneys for Justice is to preserve the constitutional right to trial by jury; champion the cause of those who deserve redress for injury to person, property or civil rights; promote the public good through concerted efforts to secure safe products, safe and fair workplaces, a clean environment, quality health care, and prevent injury from occurring; further the common law and civil and criminal justice systems and protect the rights of our citizens through advocacy in the courts, the legislature and other public forums; support and skillfully represent persons needing assistance or redress in the court and other tribunals; inspire excellence in advocacy through training and education; encourage and develop diversity among the membership and the leadership; foster cooperation among members; and uphold the honor and dignity of the legal professional and the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity.

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

  The membership requirements for ABOTA state that “Only the most qualified defense and plaintiff attorneys with courtroom experience are invited to join ABOTA.”

  The American Board of Trial Advocates seeks to improve the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy to the end that individual litigants may receive more effective representation and the general public be benefited by more efficient administration of justice consistent with time-tested and traditional principles of litigation.

• American Association for Justice AAJ(Formerly (ATLA)

  As the world's largest trial bar, AAJ promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguards victims' rights--particularly the right to trial by jury--and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety.

• American Bar Association (ABA)

  The American Bar Association seeks to promote improvements in the American system of justice, meaningful access to legal representation, leadership in improving the law, to increase public understanding of and respect for the law, to achieve the highest standards of professionalism, competence and ethical conduct, to serve as the national representative of the legal profession, to advance the rule of law in the world, to promote full and equal participation in the legal profession by minorities, women and persons with disabilities, to preserve and enhance the ideals of the legal profession as a common calling and its dedication to public service, and to preserve the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary as fundamental to a free society.

• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)The mission of the Washington State Bar Association is to promote justice.

• King County Bar Association (KCBA)

  The mission of the King County Bar Association is to improve the administration of justice; make available legal services for all persons, without regard to the financial ability of the client or the popularity of the position to be advanced; promote professional competence and ethical conduct of lawyers; increase public understanding of the legal system; and improve and reform substantive law in the public interest.

Seminar Presentations

Bob Dawson is acknowledged by other lawyers as a superior trial lawyer. He has been invited to speak at over 70 seminars for lawyers and has authored numerous articles and one book on personal injury law. We list below some of the seminars for lawyers where Bob Dawson has spoken.

• Voir Dire with a Purpose - Picking Jurors in Today’s Climate, DART, 2004.
• Guardianship, King County Bar Association Seminar, October 8, 2004.
• Medical Malpractice, Debate, Rainier Institute, April 20, 2004.
• House Bill 2786, Testimony, Health Care Committee, State of Washington, 2004 Regular Session, January 27, 2004.
• Liability Reform, Debate, Federalist Society, January 8, 2004.
• Effective Trial Practice, WSTLA Seminar, December 9, 2003.
• Advanced Minors’ Settlements GAL, WSTLA Seminar, December 4, 2003.
• Handling the Cervical Fusion Case—Why Your Cervical Fusion Case May Exceed $500K, WSTLA Roundtable, March 11, 2003.
• Handling UIM Claims so that the Insurer Will Not Want a Trial, DART Convention, February 25, 2003.
• Trying Soft Tissue and Spinal Surgery Cases: Why Your Soft Tissue Case May Be Worth More Than $100,000—and Why Your Cervical Fusion Case May Approach $1,000,000, Everett Trial Lawyer’s Roundtable, November 5, 2002.
• Tips For Preparing the Cross-Examination of the Expert Witness: The Defense Medical Doctor, Damages in Tort and Contract Litigation, Washington State Bar Association, July 24, 2002.
• Guardianship and Minor Settlements, Oregon trial Lawyers Association & Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Reciprocity Seminar, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, February 22, 2002.
• Five Practice Tips To Double Your Client’s Settlements and Jury Verdicts, South King County Trial Lawyer’s Roundtable, November 28, 2001.
• UIM Coverage—What the Settlement Guardian Ad Litem Needs To Know, Advanced Topics and Issues in Minor Settlements: Making Informed Decisions at the Crossroads of Personal Injury and Probate Practice, King County Bar Association, November 2, 2001.
• Discovery Deposition of a CR 35 Exam Doctor, Discovery, WSTLA, February 15, 2001.
• Demonstration of Expert Testimony, The good. The bad. The rehab., Medicine For Attorneys: Med Mal in a Nutshell, WSTLA, December 14, 2000.
• Presenting Damages To Move Jurors, Preparing Cases To Win, WSTLA, November 3,
  2000.
• Mahler Class Actions, Retroactive Mahler Fee Sharing, WSTLA, June 22, 2000.
• Organizing Litigation Files: Tracking Information in the Information Age, The Early Years of Litigation Practice: What You Need To Know, WSTLA, March 16, 2000.
• What Your Contingent Fee Agreement Should Contain (and most don’t), Ethical Issues in the Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Practice, WSTLA, December 18, 1998.
• Subrogation After Mahler—Now What Should You Do?, South Sound Year End Smorgasborg CLE, WSTLA, December 10, 1998.
• Investigation--The Role of the Settlement Guardian Ad Litem, Settlement of Claims of Minors and Incapacitated Persons, King County Bar Association, November 13, 1998.
• Subro at Sunrise, Annual Convention, WSTLA, July 10, 1998.
• Why Tort Reform is a Bad Idea, Conference Panel on Tort Reform, Professional Insurance Agents of Washington State Convention, June 8, 1998.
• Professionalism in Lawyering – Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should, The Washington Young Lawyers Division Meeting, Washington State Bar Association, May 2, 1998.
• Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 Moderator, WSTLA Teleconference, April 7, 1998.
• Themes that Appeal – How to Find Them, Lawyers Are from Mars, Jurors Are from Venus, WSTLA, March 19, 1998.
• Successful Litigation Tips, Bellevue Trial Lawyers Roundtable, February 18, 1998.
• The Role of the Settlement Guardian Ad Litem, Best of WSTLA Series: Settlement of Claims of Minors and the Incapacitated, WSTLA, December 18, 1997.
• Fee Agreements, Ethics in Personal Injury Practice, WSTLA, December 4, 1997.
• How To Successfully Litigate A UIM Claim, Insurance Law Basics Seminar, WSTLA, September 24, 1997.
• The Importance Of Paralegals In Pre-Trial Preparation, Best of WSTLA Series – Pre-Trial Advocacy Techniques, WSTLA, August 22, 1997.
• Program Chairperson, 1997 Annual Convention, WSTLA, August 2, 1997.
• Minor Settlements – An Overview Of The New Forms You Need, Minor Settlements: Everything You Must Know About The New Rule Seminar, WSTLA, June 19, 1997.
• The UIM – .070 Rubik’s Cube: In Re The Arbitration of Fortin – Spinning The Pieces Together, WSTLA Insurance Law Seminar, January 17, 1997.
• No-Fault Insurance: It Sounds Good, But . . . , WSTLA Briefing For Legislators Seminar, January 1, 1997.
• Different Ways To Present Your Damages Case, Making The Most Of What You Got Seminar, WSTLA, December 20, 1996.
• The Role Of The Settlement Guardian Ad Litem, Settlement and Court Approval Of Claims Of Minors And Incapacitated Persons Seminar, WSTLA, December 5, 1996.
• Use Of Demonstrative Evidence In Personal Injury Cases, Edmonds Community College, May 22, 1996.
• How To Obtain The Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, Spokane County WSTLA Roundtable, March 20, 1996.
• Closing Arguments — Tactics and Demonstration, Seattle WSTLA Roundtable, February 15, 1996.
• UIM Practice Tips, Traps And Ideas You May Not Be Aware Of, WSTLA Insurance Law Seminar, January 25-6, 1996.
• How To Obtain The Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, Whatcom County WSTLA Roundtable, January 17, 1996.
• ips For Increasing The Value of Your Case At Settlement Or Trial, Eastside WSTLA Roundtable, November 15, 1995.
• Stipulations For Release Of Medical Records, Best of WSTLA—Discovery Seminar, October 13, 1995.
• Underinsured Motorist Coverage and RCW 4.22.070: Can They Be Reconciled?, Tort Law Update, WSTLA, October 5-6, 1995.
• Dealing With Problem Cases, Case Preparation and Evaluation Seminar, WSTLA, September 27, 1995.
• How To Obtain A Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, Clark County Roundtable, June 1, 1995.
• How To Obtain The Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, South King County WSTLA Roundtable, April 27, 1995.
• Taking Soft Tissue Injury Cases To Trial, The Soft Tissue Case: Finding Hidden Injuries—Solving Special Problems Seminar, WSTLA, November 18, 1994.
• Hot Topics In Personal Injury Litigation, WSTLA Eastside Roundtable, September 21, 1994.
• Trial Preparation and Techniques of Persuasion, Tacoma Pierce County Roundtable, May 19, 1994.
• How To Obtain The Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, WSTLA Skagit County Roundtable, February 16, 1994.
• Legal Assistants: The Successful Practitioner's Secret Weapon, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., February 18, 1994.
• Success Challenging Waiver of UIM, 16th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, January 20-21, 1994.
• How To Obtain The Significant Award In A Personal Injury Case, WSTLA Snohomish County Roundtable, October 20, 1993.
• How To Obtain The Significant Personal Injury Award, WSTLA Downtown Seattle Roundtable, June 17, 1993.
• The Role Of The Legal Assistant In Prosecuting Complex Tort Cases, Professional Education Systems, Inc., June 16, 1993.
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Recognizing, Documenting, And Proving The Brain Injury Case Seminar, co chair, WSTLA, May 28, 1993.
• The Attorney Paralegal Team, WSTLA's Best Sellers of 1992 Seminar, December 18, 1992.
• The Butler Case, All About Good Faith, Estoppel And Proof Of Damages When Bad Faith Occurs, Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, January 21-22, 1993.
• Beginnings Of A Bad Faith Case, Adjustment And The Trial, PEMCO Insurance Company Annual Claims Seminar, February 27, 1993.
• Preparing The Case For Trial, Washington Association of Legal Secretaries Legal Education Fall Seminar, October 24, 1992.
• The Trial Team, Attorney-Paralegal, WSTLA, July 31, 1992.
• Maximizing The Client's Recovery In Soft Tissue Claims, WSTLA Downtown Seattle Roundtable, May 21, 1992.
• Making Mistakes, Making Money, Making Progress - How To Build A Superior Law Practice, WSTLA Bellevue Roundtable, May 20, 1992.
• Making It Work And Making It Pay - Effective Use of Legal Assistants, How To Run A Profitable Personal Injury Practice Seminar, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, May 8, 1992.
• Understanding Insurance - Where Is The Coverage, Winning Auto Cases Seminar, WSTLA, April 3, 1992.
• Minor's Settlements--How To Handle Them Properly, WSTLA Clark County Roundtable, February 14, 1992.
• Preparing The Case For Trial--Prefiling Techniques and Strategy, Litigation Seminar For Legal Secretaries and Legal Assistants Seminar, Law Seminars International, February 1, 1992.
• UIM Overview: Finding Coverage; Negotiating The Claim; Starting The Proceeding, Insurance Law Seminar, co-chair, WSTLA, January 23-24, 1992.
• PIP Problems--Dealing With The PIP Defense Medical Exam And Other Issues, WSTLA Thurston County Roundtable, November 11, 1991.
• Techniques For Dealing With Subrogation Claims--Basic Ideas And New Twists, WSTLA Snohomish County Roundtable, April 24, 1991.
• Preparing The Case For Trial - Prefiling Techniques And Strategy, Litigation Seminar For Legal Secretaries and Legal Assistants Seminar, Law Seminars International, February 23, 1991.
• Tips For Handling The Pre-Existing Injury Case, WSTLA South King County Roundtable, February 5, 1991.
• Subrogation And Reimbursement Agreements--Is There Subrogation After Jungaro? Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, January 24-25, 1991.
• Motions In Limine--What They Don't Know Can't Hurt You--Or Can It? Motions Practice Seminar, co-chair, WSTLA, October 26, 1990.
• Tips For Handling The Pre-Existing Injury Case, WSTLA Bellevue Roundtable, August 23, 1990.
• Major Medical Carriers, 12th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, WSTLA, January 19, 1990.
• Plaintiff's Personal Injury Practice Under "Fast Track", Court Congestion: New Rules to Reduce Delay Seminar, SKCBA, November, 1989.
• Projecting The Client's Net: How Many Pieces To The Pie; Evaluating Personal Injury Cases: What They're Worth And Why Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, October 13, 1989.
• Collecting Subrogation Through Inter-Company Arbitration, WSTLA Annual Convention, June, 1989.
• Use Of A Legal Assistant In An MAR Case And In Discovery; Time Management For The Legal Assistant, The Legal Team: How To Use Legal Assistants More Effectively Seminar, co-chairperson, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, April 13, 1989.
• A Plaintiff's Plan For Dealing With Insurance Subrogation Claims; New Developments In Automobile Litigation Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, March 10, 1989.
• What Is An Underinsured Motorist Claim And What Is Not; Arbitration: MAR & UIM How, When & Why Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, June 24, 1988.
• Hotel And Motel Liability For The Foreseeable Criminal Acts Of Third Persons, Premises Liability Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, March 12, 1987.
• Negotiating Skills: Tools For Coming To Terms, Seattle-King County Bar Association, Seminar co chair, March, 1987.
• Civil Suits For Victims Of Sexual Assault; WSTLA Annual Convention, July, 1986.
• Professional Liability, Washington State Bar Association, Speakers Bureau, May, 1986.
• Child Abuse Remedies: Civil & Criminal, Mount Vernon High School, April, 1986.
• Steps In A Typical Auto Case, Legal Secretaries Association Seminar, April, 1986.
• Civil Suits For Victims Of Sexual Assault, Forensic Mental Health Associates, Vancouver BC February, 1986.
• Preparation And Trial Of A Personal Injury Case, Seattle-King County Bar Association, Seminar co chair, February, 1983.

Publications
Dawson, Trial Lawyers Form Book, WSTLA Publications, May, 1991.

·         Dawson, Proving Medical Bills, Idaho Trial Lawyer, Summer, 1991.

·         Dawson, Dirty Tricks--Anticipate, React, Make Them Backfire, Florida Trial News, 1990.

·         Dawson, Practice Tips Column, WSTLA Trial News (1989-1998).

·         Dawson, Civil Suits for Sexual Assault Victims: The Up Side, Journal of Interpersonal Violence (December, 1988).

·         Dawson, The Truth About Awards and Jury Verdicts, WSTLA Trial News, 22:1 (September, 1986).

Trials & Settlements

The purpose of this list is to disclose the experience that Bob Dawson has, not to guarantee a result in your case. Please click "here" to read full disclaimer.
CASES NOT INVOLVING MONETARY AWARDS

Brain Injury/Governmental Abuse. This was a jury verdict establishing that the Department of Labor and Industries abused its discretion in failing to compromise its lien against our client’s brain injury claim. It is reported to be the only case in the state to successfully challenge such a decision by the Department. The case resulted in additional monetary compensation to our client and eligibility for fourteen years of worker’s compensation benefits previously denied by the Department.

Hoffman v. Weakley, No. 12075-5, Division I, January 8, 1990. The insurance company appealed one of Bob's cases to the State Supreme Court and attempted to declare unconstitutional the mandatory arbitration system in use in Washington, a program that allows some injured people to resolve their claims quickly and inexpensively. The Washington Court of Appeals entered a decision that upheld the constitutionality of Washington's Mandatory Arbitration Rules, and left in place the mandatory arbitration system, a system still in use today to resolve cases quickly and at low cost.

Personal

Bob Dawson grew up on a farm on the outskirts of a town that you can drive through in 30 seconds when traveling at half the speed limit.  Despite a relatively normal upbringing, Bob actually enjoys trying personal injury lawsuits, climbing big mountains, bungee jumping, Para Ponte, skydiving, trapeze, and other high adrenaline experiences.