Business Litigation

If a dispute requires a lawsuit, the party with the better lawyer has an edge. A lawsuit is a competitive struggle directed by trained and licensed professionals. Most lawyers have little experience in actually presenting their cases in Court. The evidence and legal theories must be fully developed and forcefully presented to obtain the best possible settlement or verdict. The party with an experienced Courtroom advocate has the advantage in shaping the outcome of a lawsuit, whether by settlement or trial.

First and foremost, Hackett Beecher & Hart is a litigation firm. We relish our Courtroom battles and victories. We go to Court for clients that include large and small businesses, financial institutions and individuals in State and Federal Trial and Appellate Courts throughout Washington.

Our clients benefit from the leverage they gain from our extensive Courtroom experience and reputation for success.

Insurance Disputes

In the blink of an eye, life can throw you a curve ball. An insurance policy can be suddenly transformed from "theoretically important" stack of paper into the most important document you have, as you submit a claim to your insurer. When that happens, the contents of the policy become astonishingly critical - yet often quite difficult to understand. Imagine someone sues you and your finances are in the balance. What if your insurer tells you there’s no coverage for your loss?

First, don’t take their word for it. Your policy may be broader than the claims representative, or even your own agent suggests it is. That’s where we come in. With extensive experience representing both insureds and insurers, we are intimately familiar with the industry, the policies, and the laws that tightly govern insurance companies. We have the experience to make sure your business -or you personally- get every benefit under the policy you’ve been paying for.

So, whether you’re making a claim or looking for a review of your insurance policies to ensure you have the coverage you think you do, give us call. Insurance policies don’t cover everything; but they may cover more than you think.

Insurance Consulting

Insurance sales agents know a lot about insurance - in the same way that car dealers know a lot about cars.  But when the rubber meets the road in your evaluation of potential coverages and their respective premiums, nuance matters; it can mean the difference between whether your future claims are covered, or whether you're on your own in a time of crisis.  At Hackett Beecher & Hart, we can partner with you and an insurance agent to make sure the world of potential coverages and premiums is an open (and accessible) book.

Questions about cyber coverage? We speak tech, and can identify bleeding edge coverage issues in cyber policies. Cyber policies vary wildly in premium and coverages, and can compete for your resources with your IT budget. There is a sensible, defensible compromise - we can help you find it.

Questions about pandemic coverage? We have a finger on the pulse of how particular language in particular policies is being intrepreted by the Courts. Coverages available (and their depth and breadth) will be evolving dramatically in the coming months and years. Never be caught by surprise.

And if no "off the shelf" policy fits your needs, we can negotiate "manuscript" (custom written) coverage that fits your business like a glove, and won't result in claims ambiguities that sometimes arise in the absence of sound legal drafting advice.

If you're not in the midst of a claim, now is a perfect time for a head-to-toe evaluation of your exposures and your coverages. If the unthinkable happens and you're caught unprepared, you'll wish you had.