Mark F. O’Donnell

Professional Experience

Mark F. O'Donnell has practiced law since 1983 and is a founding member of Preg O'Donnell & Gillett. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at a large, well-established Seattle firm and served on the firm's executive committee for three years. Mark is a very experienced litigator. He has successfully tried and arbitrated many cases and successfully argued many cases in the Court of Appeals and Washington Supreme Court. Mark's practice focuses on school law, all types of personal injury, product liability, construction defect, and complicated multi-party cases with 7 figure exposure.

Combining his extensive experience and passion for his field of practice, Mark works to ensure the integrity of each case he handles, helping to ease the worries that clients inevitably experience when encountering legal battles. Client relations and excellent service rate high on Mark’s priority list, as he exhibits in his day-to-day practice at Preg O’Donnell & Gillett.

Constant with the firm's core value of service, Mark is a frequent speaker at CLEs and specialty groups on legal issues.

Education

Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Salem State College in 1978.

He graduated from the University of Puget Sound Law School in 1983.

Admitted to Practice

• Washington State Courts (WSBA #13606)
• United States District Court, Western District of Washington
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Professional & Community Activities

• Mark is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Washington State Defense Trial Lawyers Association, the Council of School Attorneys, and the Master Builders Association.

Publications & Presentations

• Co-Presenter, “The Contractor's Perspective on Construction Disputes”, 9th AnnualConstruction Defects: Update and Strategy Seminar, December 2012.
• Co-Presenter, "Construction Defects Crystal Ball", Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, February 2012.
• Presenter, "Anatomy of an Employee Retaliation Lawsuit", Washington Schools Risk Management Pool, October 2011.
• Co-Presenter, "Ethical Considerations in Defending & Resolving Construction Disputes Involving Insurance", Insurance in the Construction Industry Seminar, Seattle, October, 2011.
• Panel member, "Hot Topics in Construction Defect Law", Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, February 2011.
• Presenter, "Washington Schools Risk Management Pool School Law Conference", Mock Trial Presentation, October 18, 2010.
• Panel moderator, "Construction Defect Claims in the Northwest", MC Consultants Seminar, San Diego, CA, September 2009.
• Co-author, "Improving the Construction and Litigation Resolution Process: The 2005 Amendments to the Washington Condominium Act Are a Win-Win for Homeowners and Developers," Seattle University Law Review, Spring 2006.
• Co-author, "Handling Construction Defect Claims: Western States," 3rd Ed., 2005 Cumulative Supplement.
• Presenter, "Athletic Liability Training," Washington Schools Risk Management Pool seminar at the Puget Sound Educational Service offices in Renton and Anacortes, WA, October 8 and November 18, 2009.
• Presenter, "FERPA Issues Regarding Child Sex Offenders on Campus," School Law Seminar sponsored by Washington Education Association and Washington Schools Risk Management Pool, Seattle, WA, October 27, 2009.
• Presenter, "Pacific Northwest Coverage & Current Trends," MC Consultants' 2009 West Region Construction Defect and Construction Law Conference in San Diego, CA, September 16–18, 2009.
• Presenter, "Public Works Projects," Washington Schools Risk Management Pool seminar at the Puget Sound Educational Service Office, Renton, WA, April 23, 2009.
• Presenter, "Athletic Liability," a School Law Seminar sponsored by Washington Education Association and Washington Schools Risk Management Pool, Seattle, WA, October 13, 2008.
• Presenter, "Updates on Construction Defect Claims," CPCU, Bellevue, WA, April 10, 2008.
• Presenter, "Liability for Construction Site Worker Injuries and Dealing With WISHA Citations," Master Builders Association Winter Convention, Bellevue, WA, December 11, 2007.
• Presenter, "H.B. 1848: What It Does and What It Means" and "Efforts to Improve Construction Quality and the Dispute Resolution Process," Lorman’s seminarConstruction Claims in Washington: New Law, Seattle, WA, March 6, 2007.
• Senior Counsel Panel, WDTL’s seminar Annual Construction Law Update, Seattle, WA, February 9, 2007.
• Presenter, CPCU – Claims Organization seminar, Seattle, WA, April 6, 2006.
• Presenter, "Are We There Yet? The Endless Battle Between the Legislature and the Judiciary," Lorman’s seminar Construction Claims: New Law in Washington, Seattle, WA, January 12, 2006.
• Presenter, "Condo Dispute Resolution Amendments," Master Builders Association, Bellevue, WA, August 31, 2005.
• Presenter, "Clash of the Titans: Update on the Epic Battle Between the Courts and the Legislature Over Construction Defect Claims," WDTL’s seminar Annual Update on Construction Law, Seattle, WA, February 11, 2005.
• Presenter, "Legislative Update and Motions Practice in Construction Defect Cases," WDTL’s seminar Annual Update on Construction Defect Litigation, Seattle, WA, September 27, 2002.
• Presenter, "Condo Wars—What’s New? (Resolution of Construction Defect Disputes)," WSBA’s seminar 8th Annual Fall Real Estate Conference, Seattle, WA, November 30, 2001.
• Presenter, "Condo Law Update, Statutes of Limitation and Repose and Keys to a Successful Mediation," WDTL’s seminar Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Construction Defect Claims, Seattle, WA, June 6, 2001.
• Presenter, "Construction Defect Mitigation," CPCU Society’s Construction Defectseminar, Seattle, WA, March 7, 2001.
• Presenter, "Nuts & Bolts of Condo Act Liability," WDTL's seminar Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Construction Defect Claims, Seattle, WA, October 1, 1999.
• Presenter, "General Liability Issues," seminar on School Law, Seattle, WA, April 29-30, 1998.
• Numerous in-house training sessions regarding construction defect claims.

Honors

• Mark has attended the Claims Management Institute 2012 Litigation Management Seminar in October, 2012.
• Mark has been named to the Washington Super Lawyers list as one of the top attorneys in Washington every year since 2011. No more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by Super Lawyers.
• Appointed member of the HB 1848 legislature study committee on condominium defect cases, Washington 2004-2005.
• Member of several Master Builders Association committees on legislative issues.
• AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s Lawyer Rating system. Under the Martindale-Hubbell criteria, an AV Rating shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill, integrity and ethics.