Practice 

• Medical Professional Liability Defense
• Licensing and Disciplinary Actions
• Behavioral Health/Guardianships
• Healthcare Risk Management

Representative Cases 

• Unanimous defense verdict in a wrongful death case where plaintiff claimed the cardiothoracic surgeon employed by the firm’s client, a health care system, was negligent in deciding to perform a triple bypass surgery on the decedent without completely working up various other health issues before surgery.    
  
• Directed verdict for defense in a case where plaintiff claimed hospital and emergency medicine physician were negligent for failing to suspect and report child abuse, resulting in infant’s death.
• Dismissal after discovery in case where plaintiff claimed hospital and physicians negligently managed sickle cell anemia, resulting in patient’s death.  
• Successful defense in case where plaintiff claimed hospital emergency providers improperly treated sting ray injury, resulting in permanent injury.  
• Multiple Involuntary Treatment Act cases.  Western State Hospital refused to accept involuntarily committed patients from acute care hospitals, alleging that patients had medical needs preventing their admission to Western.  Result:  Western admitted the patients; in one instance, court awarded sanctions.

Education 

• ‍Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, J.D., cum laude, 2001
• Reed College, B.A. Anthropology, 1996

Admitted to Practice

• ‍Washington State
• Oregon State
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington and District of Oregon

Professional Experience

• Fain Anderson VanDerhoef Rosendahl O’Halloran Spillane, PLLC, Principal/Owner, 2022 - Present
• Fain Anderson VanDerhoef Rosendahl O'Halloran Spillane, PLLC, Principal, February 2015 – 2021
• Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC, Associate, 2004 – 2015
• Assistant Attorney General, Labor & Personnel Division, 2003 – 2003
• Judicial Law Clerk to Judge David Armstrong, Washington State Court of Appeals, Div. II, 2001 – 2003
• Law Clerk, Attorney General of Washington, 1999 – 2001

Professional Memberships

• ‍Washington State Bar Association
• Oregon State Bar Association
• Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association
• Washington Healthcare Risk Management Society
  - President 2012-2015
• American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
  - Chapter Leader 2012-2015
• Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
• Defense Research Institute

Publications & Presentations

• Presenter, “Social Media Backlash: Practicing medicine in the world of social media and online reviews,” Washington State Obstetrical Association Annual Meeting, December 2020
• Co-Presenter “Guardianships and Common Legal Issues for Hospital Systems,” Puget Sound In-House Counsel Forum, February 2019
• Contributor, “Keep in Mind Legal Risks When Transferring ED Psychiatric Patients,” ED Legal Letter, November 2016
  
• Co-presenter, “Spillover: Legal, Regulatory, and Risk Consequences of Psychiatric Boarding,” American Society for Healthcare Risk Management Annual Conference, Indianapolis, October 19, 2015
  
• Moderator, “Triage for the Healthcare Lawyer,” Washington State Society of Healthcare Attorneys Spring Health Law Conference, April 2015
  
• “The Washington Supreme Court’s Boarding Ban, and What Comes Next,” Williams Kastner Health Care Alert, December 24, 2014
  
• Presenter, “You’re Fired! Why, When, and How to End the Patient-Provider Relationship,” Williams Kastner Health Care Seminar, December 2014
  
• Contributor, “EMR Charting and Shortcuts,” and “E-Discovery,” Physician Risk Management, July 2014
  
• Presenter, “Guardianships” and “QI/QA/Peer Review: Protecting the Privileges,” Williams Kastner Health Care Seminar, February 2013
  
• Presenter, “Charting Issues in Litigation: Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid,” Hospital Grand Rounds, August 2011
  
• Presenter, “Falls Risk Reduction,” Washington Health Care Association, May 24, 2011
  
• Presenter, “Medical Records Law,” Lorman Education Services, Tacoma, WA, June 11, 2010
  
• Presenter, “Witnesses 101:  Effective and Ethical Witness Interviews,” Williams Kastner Health Care Seminar, November 2009
  
• Presenter, “HIPAA, ADA and FMLA,” Legal & Regulatory Issues for Employers and Counsel, The Seminar Group, Seattle, WA, April 22, 2009
  
• “It’s Over: The Who, When, Why and How of Ending the Physician-Patient Relationship,” WSMGMA E-Update, December 2008
  
• Presenter, “Interpreting Medical Information: Finding the Clues for Your Case,” National Business Institute, Seattle, WA, November 20, 2008
  
• Presenter, “Prescription Narcotics:  Legal Issues and Why it Matters,” Williams Kastner Health Care Seminar, May 2008
  
• Presenter, “Medical Records Law in Washington,” Lorman Education Services, Tacoma, WA, August 22, 2007

Honors & Awards

• Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Community Leadership Award, 2018
  
• Named a Rising Star for 2009 – 2012 by Washington Super Lawyers

Community Involvement

• Tacoma-Pierce County Volunteer Legal Services
  - Pro Bono Services Volunteer
• L’Arche Tahoma Hope Community
  - Associate Member