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Gregory
L. Harper
Member
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 Greg
Harper is a founding member of Harper | Hayes PLLC. Greg
represents business entities and persons in litigation, including
Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, builders, homeowner
associations, commercial property owners, and corporate officers
and executives. A large part of Greg’s practice involves
litigating insurance disputes on behalf of his policyholder clients. As
a result, Greg is familiar with most insurance coverage forms
in the market, such as Commercial General Liability, Builder's
Risk, Professional Liability, Directors & Officers, Employment
Practice, and First-Party Property.
Though Greg’s practice focuses on litigation, he is a problem-solver first and
a litigator second. Greg’s clients seek solutions to what are typically
high-stakes legal problems. Greg delivers solutions by helping his clients
define their objectives and design an action plan to achieve those objectives. He
is equally comfortable delivering results at a negotiation table or in a courtroom.
Greg practices in Washington and Oregon. He has tried cases to the bench
and jury in state and federal courts, and has handled appellate work for his
clients in the Washington Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and
the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Greg also consults on a wide array of general risk management issues,
including analyzing potential coverage problems before they arise,
finding available insurance coverage, preparing claims and proofs
of loss, giving notice and tendering claims, negotiating settlements,
and working with policyholders to find unique and adaptive strategies
to meet their individualized risk management goals.
Areas
of Practice
Insurance Coverage Law
Construction Defect Litigation
Commercial Litigation
State and Federal Appeals
Education
Gonzaga University School of Law (J.D., 1997)
Duke University (B.A., 1988)
Associations
Washington State Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Association
Admitted to Practice
Washington State & Federal Courts
Oregon State Courts
State Licenses
Washington, 1997
Oregon, 2008
Activities
& Awards
“2010 Washington Super Lawyers” – Washington Law & Politics
“2009 Washington Super Lawyers” – Washington Law & Politics
“2008 Washington Super Lawyers” – Washington Law & Politics
“2007 Washington Super Lawyers” – Washington Law & Politics
“2005 Washington Super Lawyers” – Washington Law & Politics
Representative Cases
• Obtained $2.3 million judgment on behalf of client against excess insurance
carrier which denied coverage for an arbitration award. Judgment for the full
amount sought was entered after a series of favorable summary judgment rulings
on the eve of jury trial.
• Recovered in excess of $730,000 from a Directors & Officers insurer to
reimburse board member clients for amounts spent defending an arbitration proceeding.
• Represented the owners of a water-damaged North Seattle condominium complex
in a first-party insurance coverage dispute. Litigated in Federal Court
against three property insurers. Seven-figure settlement achieved.
• Represented the residential and commercial owners of a Bellevue condominium
complex against a building contractor. Seven-figure settlement achieved
at close of client’s case at jury trial.
• Represented general contractor in property damage dispute with builder’s risk
carriers. Six-figure settlement achieved.
• Represented general contractor who was sued by property owner over alleged
construction defects. Settled suit on behalf of client. Recovered
100% of client’s attorney’s fees and home office overhead costs from responsible
subcontractors.
• A CGL insurer denied coverage for a $400,000 arbitration award entered against
our client, a general contractor. Our client then filed a lawsuit against
the insurer. We obtained summary judgment in our client’s favor in the
trial court. Division I of the Washington Court of Appeals reversed the
trial court’s ruling in favor of our client and entered judgment in favor of
the insurer. We filed a Petition for Review asking the Washington State
Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals’ ruling. After the Supreme
Court agreed to review the ruling, the insurer settled the appeal on terms quite
favorable to our client.
• Represented custom home builder in lawsuit to recover costs incurred to repair
rot and decay damage at single family residence. Obtained summary judgment
of coverage for the entire amount of costs incurred, plus client’s attorney’s
fees expended in litigating coverage action.
• Represented major financial institution in a lawsuit seeking insurance coverage
for an underlying environmental contamination lawsuit involving property held
by the bank in trust. Seven-figure recovery for client.
• Represented the owner/operator of a retirement facility whose
building had suffered severe property damage. The lawsuit
sought first-party property benefits from the owner/operator’s
property insurer to help pay for necessary repairs. The
insurance company settled for a seven figure number three days
before trial.
• Represented develop/builder in insurance coverage lawsuit against
CGL carrier. Tried case and obtained $593,000 judgment
on behalf of client.
Presentations
“Insurance in the Construction Industry” Co-Chair, The Seminar Group, October 2009“
Western Regional Construction Defect & Construction Law Conference" MC Consultants, September 2009
“Liability of Corporate Executives: Risk Management Strategies & Solutions”
The Seminar Group,
May 2009
“Insurance in the Construction Industry” The Seminar Group, October 2008
“Insurance for Developers, Contractors and Subcontractors” The Seminar Group,
June 2008
“Insurance Law for Builders and Developers: Construction Defect Litigation” –
a Panel Discussion Harper Hayes PLLC, March 2008
“Property Insurance for Condominiums and Apartments: The Property Manager’s Perspective”
Harper Hayes PLLC, February 2008
“Condominiums: Opportunities and Pitfalls” The Seminar Group, June 2007
“Insurance Coverage Law in Washington” National Business Institute, January 2007
“Insurance Bad Faith Claims in Washington” Lorman Seminars, July 2006
“Condominiums: Opportunities and Pitfalls” The Seminar Group, June 2006
“Alternative Dispute Resolution in Construction Defect Litigation” Mealey’s Seminars,
June 2006
“Insurance Coverage Law in Washington” National Business Institute, June 2005
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