Stephanie Grassia
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Stephanie is a Principal at Cairncross & Hempelmann and leads the firm’s Insurance Coverage group and is also a member of the Litigation group.  Her practice is primarily focused on disputes between policyholders and their insurance companies.  She spent 12 years as a property and casualty commercial insurance broker, managing complex accounts for policyholders in the hospitality, construction, transportation, and real estate arenas, including Space Needle Corporation, the Seattle Monorail, Bellevue Square Mall, and Stevens Healthcare prior to obtaining her law degree and joining the firm, of Counsel. During that time, she obtained the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter ("CPCU") professional designation. Stephanie's background in both the legal and brokerage side of the insurance arena give her a unique perspective on the resolution of coverage disputes. To that end, she provides personal, individualized service to each of her clients in the following areas:

  • Breach of insurance contract disputes
  • Property and casualty claims
  • Coverage for government entities
  • Insurance agents and brokers
  • Insurance policy analysis
  • Bad faith claims
  • Seminars and continuing education
  • Serves as an expert witness in cases involving insurance industry custom and practice

Stephanie's assistant, Rachel, can be reached via email, or by phone at 206.254.4485.



Education
  • City University (B.S. in Business Administration, with Honors, 1999)
  • Seattle University School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2003)
         Research and Technical Editor, Seattle University Law Review
Admissions
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • US District Court, Eastern District of Washington
  • US District Court, Western District of Washington
  • US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Awards/Honors and Organizational Memberships
  • Parker, Smith & Feek Employee of the Year 1999
  • Rising Star Award Recipient, Washington Law & Politics Magazine
  • Washington State Association for Justice, Member
  • Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
Publications/Speaking Engagements
Cases
Expert Witness Engagements:
  • Democon, LLC v. Liberty Mutual Property Insurance (King County Superior Court 2011): Served as a rebuttal expert witness to opine as to whether an insurance agent adhered to the custom and practice in the insurance industry when it bound a builders’ risk policy and included subcontractors as insureds under the policy.
Cases:
  • Washington Counties Risk Pool v. Coregis Insurance (Washington 2006):   Recovered in excess of $5 million on environmental contamination claims under excess/umbrella and reinsurance policies on behalf of Washington pool of self-insured counties.
  • American Capital Homes, Inc. v. Greenwich Insurance Company (U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington 2011): Obtained a jury verdict against an insurer for breach of insurance contract and recovered damages because of the insurer’s wrongful denial of coverage under an employment practices liability policy. Also obtained a jury verdict on the insurer’s counterclaim against the insured for alleged lack of cooperation. Attorneys’ fees and costs application pending with the court, as well as recovery of prejudgment interest.
  • Progressive Classic Insurance Company v. Pitts (U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington 2011): Established breach of insurance contract and recovered damages, Olympic Steamship attorneys’ fees and costs, and prejudgment interest under a personal watercraft policy for the loss of a fishing boat caused by capsizing.
  • Amy’s Kitchen, Inc. v. S&B James Construction, et al. (Oregon 2009-11): Successfully represented producer/distributor of organic and vegetarian food products in recovering damages against construction contractors and insurers resulting from defective and damaged concrete floor in 140,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Southern Oregon.
  • Big EZ Car Wash , LLC v. Hartford Casualty Insurance Co. (Pierce County Superior Court 2010): Established coverage, bad faith, and violations of Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act (“IFCA”) in arbitration under a property insurance policy covering equipment breakdown for losses incurred by a car wash owner when mechanical equipment broke down and spilled tire foam chemical onto the premises. The arbitrator trebled the damages award pursuant to IFCA and awarded attorneys’ fees.
  • James W. Fowler v. ACE American Insurance Co. (U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington 2005): Established coverage and recovered damages, attorneys’ fees, and prejudgment interest in arbitration under a builder’s risk policy for losses incurred by a contractor when sanitary sewer jacking pipe was damaged during the microtunneling process.
  • Coakley & Williams Hotel Mgmt. Co. v. Westchester Fire Ins. Co. (Dist. of Columbia 2005): Established coverage under a property insurance policy for a hotel chain’s business income loss caused by the closure of DCA-Reagan Airport after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
  • Bordeaux, Inc. v. American Safety Insurance Co., 145 Wn. App. 687, 186 P.3d 1188 (2008), review denied: In a groundbreaking opinion, the Washington Court of Appeals established the right of a policyholder to be reimbursed for its SIR/deductible before an insurance company may share in subrogation recoveries.
  • KBJ Investments, LLC v. Colony Insurance Company (Thurston County Superior Court): Established coverage under a commercial Difference in Conditions policy, obtaining a multi-million dollar settlement for earthquake damage arising from 2001 Nisqually earthquake.