Member Bio
Ron Clark focuses his practice on insurance coverage litigation, and the defense of general tort actions, including product liability claims. His practice emphasizes litigation of claims involving construction-related issues, and allegations of bad-faith claims handling.
Practice Areas
Insurance Industry Services Group
Product Liability
Selected Industries
Insurance
Education
Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College - J.D., cum laude, 1987, Recipient, Law Review Excellence Award, 1986-87, Environmental Law Review, Associate Editor, 1986-87
Western Oregon State College - B.S., 1983
Bar Admissions
Admitted to Oregon Bar, 1988
Admitted to U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, 1989
Admitted to Idaho Bar, 2006
Professional and Civic Involvement
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
• Defense Research Institute (Board of Directors, NW Regional Representative; Insurance Law Committee)
• Multnomah County Bar Association
• Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (Coverage and Products Liability Groups)
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (Volunteer Lawyer)
• Oregon State Bar Association (Litigation Section)
• U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1980-1984
Representative Trial Results
Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith -
• Metawave Communications Corp. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., et al, California state court and Court of Appeals ($18 million business interruption claim and bad faith allegations tried and won in California State Court and also on appeal)
• Hartford Financial Services Corp. v. Cleveland Public Library, Federal Court in Cleveland, Ohio and 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ($10 million property coverage and bad faith claim tried and won in trial court and also on appeal)
• Stepp v. Safeco Ins. Co., Oregon state court (Arson defense to coverage claim, won at trial)
• Traders & General Ins. Co. v. Freeman, Federal Court in Oregon and on appeal (Arson defense to coverage claim involving "innocent co-insured" won at trial, and also on appeal)
• Koldkist-Beverage Ice., Inc., et al v. Liberty Northwest Ins. Co., Oregon state court (Fraud and bad faith claim won at trial)
Product Liability Suits -
• Weeg v. Lewis Bros. Rental Co., Oregon state court case involving allegedly defective back hoe, won in state court
• Fite-Frazer v. Portland Party Works, Inc., Oregon state court case involving allegedly defective product at convention, won in state court
• Holbrook v. Gowan Company, Oregon state court case involving allegedly defective herbicide, won in state court
Miscellaneous -
• Whittington v. American Family Insurance, Malicious Prosecution case, won in Oregon state court
• Haatia v. American Family Insurance, Defamation case, won in Oregon state court
• Odd Fellows Cemetery Assoc. v. Schenck Communications, Inc., Timber Trespass case, won in Oregon state court
• McCarty v. Trend Setter Home Improvement, Employers Liability case, won in Oregon state court
• Loftus v. Westberg, Wrongful Death case, $400,000 plaintiff's verdict in Oregon state court
• Approximately 20 other jury trials in addition to those listed above
Articles and Presentations
• Author, "September 11 and Business Interruption Insurance," For The Defense (2002)
• Speaker, "Good Faith as a Matter of Law," DRI Seminar, New York , New York (1994)
• Co-Author, "Joint or Several Liability: Allowing the Jury to Consider the Fault of All Tortfeasors," Oregon Association of Defense Counsel Newsletter (1993)
• Co-Author, "Human Factors Testimony: Does the Jury Really Need It?," For The Defense (1993)
• Co-Author, "Good Faith as a Matter of Law: The Insurance Company's Right to be Wrong," 27 Tort & Insurance Law Journal, 665 (1992)
Regional Editor, "Annotations to the Homeowners Policy" (1990)
• Co-Author, "Products Liability in the Sports Industry," 23 Tort & Insurance Law Journal 44 (1987)