Donna Chamberlin

Partner

Donna.Chamberlin@lewisbrisbois.com

Donna Chamberlin is a partner in the Seattle office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Complex Business & Commercial Litigation, Environmental & Administrative Law, and National Trial Practices. She is a chemical engineer and registered patent attorney and practiced as a process engineer, design engineer and economics planner for one of the World’s largest oil and gas companies before attending law school. Ms. Chamberlin has successfully litigated cases through trial in state and federal courts, and has secured summary judgments that have been affirmed on appeal in numerous cases.

Ms. Chamberlin has litigated more than one hundred products liability matters, including cases involving small consumer goods, large equipment, construction and manufacturing components, asbestos and toxic components. She has secured numerous summary judgment dismissals on such matters based upon procedural, tort, and contractual defenses. Her intellectual property work includes litigating patent, trademark, and copyright actions to summary judgment and on appeal, as well as through trial in the United States District Courts and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. 

Ms. Chamberlin also handles environmental and insurance work representing clients under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Clean Water Act, the Washington Model Toxics Control Act (“MTCA”), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”). Ms. Chamberlin’s insurance work includes litigating matters under the Washington Insurance Fair Conduct Act (“IFCA”) and for bad faith, and defending property and casualty claims. Her business and corporate work includes representing clients in breach of contract, breach of fiduciary, receivership, limited liability and corporate dissolution actions. She has also negotiated, drafted and enforced contracts including intellectual property and licensing agreements.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Complex Business & Commercial Litigation
  • Environment, Land, & Natural Resources Law
  • COVID-19: Commercial & Contractual Litigation Disputes
  • National Trial Practice
  • Asbestos Litigation

Additional Experience

Admissions

Washington

United States Patent and Trademark Office

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Associations

  • Washington State Bar Association
  • Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association
  • Washington State Patent Lawyers Association
  • Environmental and Land Use Law Section – King County Bar Association
  • California State University Long Beach School of Engineering – 100 Women Strong Steering Committee

Awards & Honors

  • Advanced Moot Court, Rutgers School of Law
  • Top Ten Oral Argument, Rutgers School of Law

Education

Rutgers School of Law

Juris Doctor

Salzburg Austro-American University-McGeorge School of Law

Certificate in International Legal Studies

California State University, Long Beach

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering 

  • Minor in Chemistry

Representative Cases

  • Wellfount Corp. v. Translogic Corp., Talyst Systems, LLC, Case No. 18-2-277559-8 SEA, Wash. Super. Ct. (May 7, 2021). Secured a defense verdict and judgment of no liability for a technology client accused of breach of contract in a 5-week jury trial by Zoom. The related tort claims and claims for consequential damages claims of $110 million were dismissed on summary judgment. The jury entered a verdict finding no breach on the sole remaining contract claim.
  • Anderson v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., F. 3d (9th Cir. 2019). Secured summary judgment, affirmed on appeal, and established as a case of first impression an insurer’s right to remove a case to federal district court within 30 days measured from the date of actual receipt of the summons and complaint by the insurer. In the companion memorandum opinion, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the grant of summary judgment in favor of the insurer based upon the insureds breach of the insurance policy’s cooperation clause and based upon lapsed statutes of limitation. See Anderson v. State Farm, No. 15-35981, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 6994; 2019 WL 1098373 (Mar. 8, 2019).
  • Young v. United Rentals (North America), Inc. and Halvorson Construction Group, LLC, Case No. 18-2-16385-4 SEA, Wash. Super. Ct. (April 19, 2019). Secured summary judgment dismissal of all claims alleged against a general contractor for a scissor-lift injury claim.
  • Allianz Global Risks U.S. Ins. Co., et al. v. ACE Property & Cas. Ins. Co., et al., Circuit Court of Oregon, Case No. 1204-04552 (2014). Secured dismissal of certain claims and jury verdict dismissal of certain insurance policies in contribution action for Portland Harbor Superfund liabilities and more than 1,500 underlying asbestos claims in suit involving six-week jury trial.
  • Northwest Natural Gas Co. v. Associated Electric & Gas Ins. Serv. Ltd., et al., Circuit Court of Oregon, Case No. 1012-17532 (2014). Represented insurers under commercial general liability policies for underlying Portland Harbor Superfund and upland liabilities.
  • Century Indemnity Co. v. The Marine Group, LLC, et al. No. 3:08-CV-1375-AC, 2013 WL 5838991 (D. Or. Oct. 29, 2013). Represented insurers under commercial general liability policies for Superfund liabilities including new precedent on the duty to defend and denying insured requested injunctive relief.
  • Phila. Indem. Ins. Co. v. Olympia Early Learning Ctr., 980 F. Supp. 2d 1266, 1267 (W.D. Wash. 2013). Secured summary judgment on insurance policy limits issue with underlying claim alleging sex abuse against minors, and then secured dismissal of the appeal as improperly filed.
  • Newmont USA Ltd. v. American Home Assur. Co., 795 F. Supp. 2d 1150 (W.D. Wash. 2011). Defended insurer under commercial general liability policies for Superfund liabilities for mining site, drafting summary judgment motion that resulted in favorable settlement.
  • Vantage Trailers, Inc. v. Beall Corp., 567 F.3d 745 (5th Cir. 2009). Secured dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, affirmed by the Fifth Circuit, of design trademark infringement and false patent marking claims.
  • Stutz v. Port of Pasco, 132 Wn. App. 132 Wn. App. 1036 (2006). Secured summary judgment dismissal.
  • Bolin v. Seaview Chevrolet, 128 Wn. App. 1031 (2005). Secured summary judgment dismissal, affirmed on appeal, in insurance coverage action for auto accident of a minor child.
  • Rose v. Seventh-day Adventists, 127 Wn. App. 1046 (2003). Secured summary judgment dismissal under First Amendment, affirmed on appeal, for sexual abuse and negligent church supervision case related to murder of a parishioner and attempted murder of second parishioner.