Mary Owen Consulting

Mary E. Owen J.D. | Principal, Mary Owen Consulting

Mary E. Owen, Esq. is a licensed attorney in the state of Washington with over 35 years of expertise in insurance law including bodily injury and medical condition claims, contract disputes, and automobile related lawsuits. She is a leading expert in all areas of civil litigation with a well established reputation for fairness and collaboration among her peers, and an unmatched track record for achieving the best possible outcome for her clients.

Ms. Owen recognizes that the most important part of her work is communicating the path ahead to her clients. Known for her highly developed written and oral communication skills, Ms. Owen has the ability to clearly articulate complex legal issues to clients with little or no experience in civil litigation.

Her experience includes: bodily injury and medical condition claims, contract disputes, automobile related lawsuits, premises liability, products liability, construction defect, insurance coverage, bad faith, declaratory judgment actions and reservations of rights.

Speaking Engagements

Work Experience

Appointed Special Discovery Master

Ponderay Newsprint Company v. Public Utility District No. 1 of Pend O’Reille County et al.,

2017-2018

Spokane County Superior Court Case No. 16-2-00072-4

Appointed Special Discovery Master in Complex Contract Interpretation Case involving private companies and a Public Utility District. Addressed multiple Discovery Motions

Rhodes v. Barnett

2017-2018

Spokane County Superior Court Case No. 14-2-4684-1

Presided over discovery motions presented by parties in litigation; prepared reports and recommendations to the trial court for adoption.

Appointed Special Mediation Master

Magallon and Padilla v. United States of America

United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington, Case No. 2:16-CV-283-RMP

This was a complex medical malpractice case involving a Federally funded medical clinic.

Gonzales v. United States of America

United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington, Case No. 1:18-CV-3027-RMP, 2020

Appointed by the federal trial court to assist in the resolution of a multi-million dollar medical malpractice case.

Mary E. Owen, Esq., Consulting and Mediation

Arbitrator/Mediator/Expert Consultant – 7 Years

Arbitrates and mediates matters involving personal injury and insurance litigation, including, but not limited to, cases involving coverage issues, bad faith, IFCA claims, and the duty to defend; in addition, provides expert consultation services in the areas of claims handling, statutory and regulatory compliance issues, witness and trial preparation, and general insurance litigation matters.

GEICO Staff Counsel

Managing Attorney – 20 Years

Ms. Owen left her private practice in 1997 to establish the first GEICO staff counsel office in Washington state. Initially, the staffing consisted of one associate and a legal secretary. While Ms. Owen held this position, the company’s Seattle office grew to be the largest staff counsel office for GEICO on the West Coast, which necessitated the opening of a second office in nearby Tacoma, WA. Between 1997 and 2014, GEICO’s market share increased extensively, resulting in the company ranking second only to State Farm.

Bohrnson and Owen PC

Managing Partner – 4 Years

Managed casualty insurance defense firm, focused on handling and litigating first and third party claims involving bodily injury and property damage arising from motor vehicle/trucking accidents, as well as commercial casualty and property insurance defense for accidents, fire, construction defect, safety violations, employment matters and fraud cases; advised clients on proper claims handling procedures; and handled business litigation matters.

Kappelman and Owen PC

Partner – 4 Years

Practice focused on advising and litigating property issues, personal injury, insurance coverage claims and insurance claims handling procedures; advised corporate clients regarding standards and best practices relative to the establishment of employment procedures, grievance resolution and training programs to assist compliance; served as a liaison between the local Bar members and physicians regarding disputes arising from testimonial requirements in personal injury cases.

Southwell O’Rourke, Jalbert, and Kappelman, P.S.

Associate Attorney – 5 years

Practice focused on bankruptcy law, insurance defense, business litigation, employment and corporate law; assisted partners with all aspects of litigation, including preparing cases for trial, conducting depositions, client and witness interviews, briefing and arguing motions, and assisting in and trying jury and bench trials.

Carl Maxey and Associates

Associate Attorney – 3 Years

Practice focused on criminal and civil litigation, including civil rights actions, personal injury, contract disputes, and family law; assisted senior attorney in the preparation of all matters proceeding to jury and bench trials, while independently litigating cases to resolution or trial.

Quackenbush, Dean and Bailey, P.S.

Associate Attorney – 4 Years

Law Clerk Rule 9 intern and associate attorney to the Honorable Justin L. Quackenbush of the United States Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Washington prior to his appointment to the Federal bench; assisted senior attorneys in representation of municipalities, the Spokane Airport Board, and numerous insurance and corporate clients; performed legal research and assisted in the preparation of cases for litigation, while maintaining a personal case load as an associate attorney.