PAUL S. SMITH
Attorney
Main Phone: 206.689.8500
Direct Line: 206.346.3948
Email: psmith@forsberg-umlauf.com
BusinessCard: 
PRACTICE EMPHASIS AND EXPERIENCE
Construction Defect
Insurance Coverage
Maritime Coverage and Defense
Personal Injury Defense
Paul’s practice focuses on insurance defense litigation, insurance coverage, construction defect, Jones Act cases, maritime personal injury defense, and other admiralty defense litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he practiced locally for several years, handling admiralty and maritime matters, including marine insurance defense litigation and marine insurance coverage cases.
Prior to his career as an attorney, Paul worked for many years as a property and casualty claims adjuster and maritime claims adjuster. He began his insurance career at Farmers Insurance and later worked for Great American Insurance Company and Royal Insurance.
EDUCATION
J.D., Seattle University School of Law, 1997
B.A., University of Washington, 1987
BAR / COURT ADMISSIONS
State of Washington - 1998
State of Oregon - 2005
United States District Court, Western District of Washington
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Defended civic association against alleged renal failure in connection with fall from roof.
- Representation of a stevedoring company in connection with high-value cargo damaged at a terminal facility.
- Representation of cruise vessel operators in multiple passenger personal injury cases.
- Representation of a paving contractor in wrongful death action in connection with highway improvements being undertaken by contractor.
- Representation of transportation companies in cases involving cargo damaged during interstate shipping.
- Representation of vessel owners in limitation of liability action involving vessel fire.
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
Washington State Bar Association
Puget Sound Maritime Claims Association
Marine Insurance Association of Seattle
Puget Sound Maritime Claims Association, past-president
ARTICLES AND PRESENTATIONS
- Moderator: "Maritime Personal Injury," CLE by Lorman Education Services, July 19, 2011
- Presenter: “Covenant Judgments, Duties of Defense Counsel and Insurers,” Marine Insurance Association of Seattle, December 2010
- Co-Presenter: "Between a Rock and the Sword of Damocles: Insurer-Appointed Defense Counsel, Ethics, and the Covenant Judgment," 2010 Insurance Law Coverage Update, Forsberg & Umlauf seminar, November 4, 2010
- Presenter: “Getting the Most Out of Your Evidence,” National Business Institute, July 2009
- Frequent speaker for industry associations on topics of interest to the insurance community. He has also spoken on such topics as covenant judgments and construction defect law at CLE and CE seminars.
