Admitted to Practice | Washington, 1980 | | U.S. Supreme Court, 1985 | | U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1983 | | U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2008 | | U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 1980 | | U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington, 1986 |
| Steve Rummage represents clients in complex litigation and appeals, with an emphasis on class action defense. He has defended a wide variety of matters, including consumer class actions, securities fraud claims, right of publicity actions, complex contract disputes, and construction matters. Steve represents clients from a variety of industries, including financial services, telecommunications, software, digital media, leisure travel, major league sports and utilities. Steve frequently speaks on issues regarding class action litigation, as well as evidence, depositions and appellate practice. Selected Experience Represent former Washington Mutual officers in multidistrict class action litigation and tag-along cases pending in federal district court in the Western District of Washington involving securities claims arising from collapse of housing market. Appointed by court as liaison counsel and single-member deposition committee for all defendants. (W.D. Wash. Ongoing) Represented national wireless carrier in putative nationwide and California-only class actions in federal courts in Washington and California alleging carrier breached its contracts and violated consumer protection statutes when it passed through federal fees that subsidize phone service for rural and other underserved areas. Federal courts in Seattle and San Francisco dismissed each proposed class action with prejudice. 9th Circuit affirmed dismissals. (2010) Represented the world's leading provider of stock photography in arbitration and litigation with two image partners regarding Getty Images' licensing of their images through a new product. The case centered on the image partners' claims that Getty Images breached its contracts with them and violated their, and their contributors', copyrights by licensing the images. After significant discovery and motion practice, the case settled satisfactorily. (2010) Represented Microsoft in putative nationwide products liability class action alleging defects in the Xbox 360 console. Court denied class certification in October 2009, and the 9th Circuit denied review on Jan. 21, 2010. In re Xbox 360 Scratched Disc Litig., 2009 WL 481325 (W.D. Wash. 2009). Case settled on favorable terms on individual basis. ( W.D. Wash. 2010)Defended client against putative class claims of alleged violations of the Seaman's Wage Act. Won a motion to dismiss potential class action and enforce contract requiring arbitration in the Philippines, seaman's home country. In October 2009, the 9th Circuit affirmed. LEXIS 88544 (W.D. Wash. 2007) Represented escrow company against putative class claims of breach of contract, breach of duties as fiduciary and agent, Consumer Protection violation, and unjust enrichment. After more than a year of litigation, the Western District of Washington granted Talon Group summary judgment on all claims. Plaintiff initially appealed to the 9th Circuit, but later voluntarily dismissed his appeal. (W.D. Wash. 2009) Represented the nation's largest title insurer in a putative consumer class action alleging that title insurers violated state and federal law by giving 'inducements' to referral sources to secure title insurance business. After nearly two years of litigation, court dismissed all claims for plaintiffs' lack of standing. Plaintiffs initially appealed to the 9th Circuit but then voluntarily dismissed their appeal. 504 F. Supp. 2d 1091 (W.D. Wash. 2007) Defeated motion for certification of a nationwide class in lawsuit alleging multiple state law claims arising out of the sale of life-only fixed annuities. 250 F.R.D. 512 (W.D. Wash. 2008) Prevailed before the Alaska Supreme Court on a novel class action claim concerning the so-called 'pyramiding' method of computing overtime for hours worked in excess of eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. (2008) Court-appointed lead counsel for 30,000 plaintiffs represented by 60 law firms in the consolidated proceedings of more than 250 lawsuits, both class actions and direct actions, filed on behalf of fishermen, processors, Alaska natives, landowners, businesses, and others injured as a result of the spill of 11.8 million gallons of North Slope crude oil into the coastal waters of Alaska by the Exxon Valdez. 296 F. Supp. 2d 1071 (2008) Represented nation's largest savings and loan in putative class litigation in Michigan alleging improper collection of mortgage release fees and payoff statement fees. Motion to dismiss granted based on federal preemption and failure to state a claim under Michigan law. Appeal pending in the 6th Circuit when the FDIC assumed control of the savings and loan, resulting in a stay of the appeal. (6th Cir. 2008) Defended the Seattle Times Company in litigation filed by the Hearst Corporation regarding the Joint Operating Agreement under which the Seattle Times Company published both the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The firm argued and won a unanimous Washington Supreme Court decision on the threshold issue of contract interpretation. 154 Wn.2d 493, 115 P.3d 262 (Wash. 2005-2007) Represented the Seattle Mariners in various disputes arising out of the construction of SAFECO Field and the Mariners' efforts to recoup over $100 million in cost overruns. Negotiated complex and highly publicized settlement with the public owner of the ballpark and resolved various construction-related claims through several multiparty mediations. (2002) Additional Qualifications Professional and Community Activities Professional Recognition
- Named as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" in Litigation: General Commercial (Washington) by Chambers USA, 2004-2011
- Named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Woodward/White in Commercial Litigation, 2007-present; named in Business Litigation, 2003-2006; named in Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2010-present
- Selected to "Top 100 Washington Super Lawyers," Law & Politics, 2005-2011
- Named as one of the "Top Business Lawyers" by Seattle Business Monthly, 2008
- Named as one of the "Top Lawyers" by Seattle Magazine and Seattle Business Monthly, 2007 (featured on cover of Seattle Business Monthly)
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Education J.D., University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1980 B.A., History & Creative Writing, Stanford University, 1977, with distinction | |