Our Litigation Wins and Experience
In the Fall of 2018, Mark D. Walters and the Washington State Attorney General's Office brought the first Washington State Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act qui tam whistleblower case to trial against the surviving officer of Relationship Toward Self Discovery, Inc. This was a bench trial. In December 2018, the trial judge found in of the State of Washington and qui tam whistleblower, awarding nearly $2.8 million to the State of Washington, and awarded the qui tam whistleblower 25% of the recovery.
On June 13, 2017, King County Superior Court Judge John R. Ruhl entered a Judgment against Relationship for Self-Discovery, Inc., for $321,228.24 ($107,076.08 lost back pay; $214,152.16 two times lost back pay), plus $17,541.26 in statutory pre-judgment interest (total Judgment $338,799.50), in what is believed to be the very first Judgment entered under the Washington Medicaid Fraud False Claim Act, a case Mark D. Walters filed in 2015 on behalf of a qui tam whistleblower.
On May 4, 2016, Mark D. Walters defeated a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, which was filed on trade secret grounds in an effort to prevent a client from opening a retail store in Issaquah Highlands. On May 13, 2016, Mark defeated a second Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, filed on new alleged facts in the same case.
In the Spring of 2016, Mark D. Walters sent a cease and desist letter to a restaurant that were infringing on a restaurant client's trademark. This resulted in the infringing party abandoning and agreeing to transfer its infringing URL, changing its name and destroying all content and materials that contained our client's trademark.
In the Summer of 2015, a cease and desist letter sent by Mark D. Walters caused the trademark infringing party to change the name of its business to one that is not confusingly similar to our client's trademark.
In the Fall of 2015, Mark D. Walters successfully defended a Bellevue, Washington, company in an investigation conducted by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Theresa E. Pruett has successfully defended numerous companies in EEOC, Washington Human Rights Commission and Seattle Office of Civil Rights complaints. Most recently, Ms. Pruett successfully defended a Seattle based business on a gender-based job application advertisement under the bona fide occupational qualification defense.
In the Spring of 2015, Mark D. Walters won an employment discrimination (sexual orientation and creed) with a judgment that included over two years of lost wages ($150,864) and $200,000 in damages for emotional distress. The Court also awarded all of the attorneys fees and costs incurred by our client.
On April 3, 2015, Theresa Pruett and Mark D. Walters obtained a Preliminary Injunction on behalf of the plaintiff in a breach of contract/tortious interference lawsuit involving wine and spirits distributors. The case is captioned American Northwest Distributors, Inc. v. Chad McGee, Hallie McGee, Cooper & Sons, Inc., Crush and Cooper of Washington, LLC, Elizabeth Corbett, John Doe Corbett and Timothy Crowther (King County Cause No. 15-2-05666-2 SEA). In this same case, on October 9, 2015, Theresa E. Pruett and Mark D. Walters obtained an Order of Contempt against the defendants for intentionally violating the Preliminary Injunction Orders.
The King County Superior Court appointed Mark D. Walters as a Special Master in a Public Records Request case where he reviewed and produced electronic records for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
David Reed negotiated a six figure settlement in a products liability claim against former Fortune 500 company.
Mark D. Walters was co-counsel in the El Diablo, Inc. v. Matodor lawsuit. Representing El Diablo, Inc., the owner of Pesos Kitchen & Lounge, Mr. Walters helped prosecute misappropriation of trade secrets and trade dress infringement claims. The case settled favorably after 5 weeks of trial.
David Reed negotiated six figure settlement on behalf of woman police officer against her employer-city in sexual harassment claim.
Mark D. Walters is one of the first attorneys in Washington to represent an employee—a high-ranking executive for a Fortune 500 company—in a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower case. The case settled in the high six figures at mediation after Mr. Walters presented the former employer with a draft of his Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Complaint.
In the Spring of 2011, Mark D. Walters represented Washington State Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland (ret.), who was appointed Guardian ad Litem for Michael R. Mastro in Washington’s largest bankruptcy proceeding. Mr. Walters served as an intern clerk for Justice Ireland when she was a King County Superior Court Judge.
David Reed successfully defended an entrepreneur and his new company against a $2.3 million claim that he breached fiduciary duties in taking the business away from his former employer. Verdict after one month jury trial: $34,000.
Mark D. Walters developed and prosecuted a defense strategy in a trade dress infringement lawsuit involving a bottle design brought by Talking Rain against Sobe. The case was won on summary judgment and the court invalidated Talking Rain's federal trade dress registration.
David Reed negotiated multiple six figure settlements in claims by minority shareholders in cases of oppression against majority shareholders and companies.
Mark D. Walters represented a False Claims Act qui tam whistleblower who filed suit on behalf of the United States. The case resulted in a $18.5 million recovery. The U.S. government awarded the qui tam relators 18.5 percent (approximately $3.4 million) of the settlement under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provision.
David Reed negotiated a six figure professional liability settlement on behalf of a company against its CPA for his failure to advise about internal controls which had resulted in embezzlement.
Mark D. Walters prosecuted a pregnancy discrimination case after the corporation laid the employee off when she was eight months pregnant. The case settled for $97,000.
On June 13, 2017, King County Superior Court Judge John R. Ruhl entered a Judgment against Relationship for Self-Discovery, Inc., for $321,228.24 ($107,076.08 lost back pay; $214,152.16 two times lost back pay), plus $17,541.26 in statutory pre-judgment interest (total Judgment $338,799.50), in what is believed to be the very first Judgment entered under the Washington Medicaid Fraud False Claim Act, a case Mark D. Walters filed in 2015 on behalf of a qui tam whistleblower.
On May 4, 2016, Mark D. Walters defeated a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, which was filed on trade secret grounds in an effort to prevent a client from opening a retail store in Issaquah Highlands. On May 13, 2016, Mark defeated a second Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, filed on new alleged facts in the same case.
In the Spring of 2016, Mark D. Walters sent a cease and desist letter to a restaurant that were infringing on a restaurant client's trademark. This resulted in the infringing party abandoning and agreeing to transfer its infringing URL, changing its name and destroying all content and materials that contained our client's trademark.
In the Summer of 2015, a cease and desist letter sent by Mark D. Walters caused the trademark infringing party to change the name of its business to one that is not confusingly similar to our client's trademark.
In the Fall of 2015, Mark D. Walters successfully defended a Bellevue, Washington, company in an investigation conducted by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Theresa E. Pruett has successfully defended numerous companies in EEOC, Washington Human Rights Commission and Seattle Office of Civil Rights complaints. Most recently, Ms. Pruett successfully defended a Seattle based business on a gender-based job application advertisement under the bona fide occupational qualification defense.
In the Spring of 2015, Mark D. Walters won an employment discrimination (sexual orientation and creed) with a judgment that included over two years of lost wages ($150,864) and $200,000 in damages for emotional distress. The Court also awarded all of the attorneys fees and costs incurred by our client.
On April 3, 2015, Theresa Pruett and Mark D. Walters obtained a Preliminary Injunction on behalf of the plaintiff in a breach of contract/tortious interference lawsuit involving wine and spirits distributors. The case is captioned American Northwest Distributors, Inc. v. Chad McGee, Hallie McGee, Cooper & Sons, Inc., Crush and Cooper of Washington, LLC, Elizabeth Corbett, John Doe Corbett and Timothy Crowther (King County Cause No. 15-2-05666-2 SEA). In this same case, on October 9, 2015, Theresa E. Pruett and Mark D. Walters obtained an Order of Contempt against the defendants for intentionally violating the Preliminary Injunction Orders.
The King County Superior Court appointed Mark D. Walters as a Special Master in a Public Records Request case where he reviewed and produced electronic records for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
David Reed negotiated a six figure settlement in a products liability claim against former Fortune 500 company.
Mark D. Walters was co-counsel in the El Diablo, Inc. v. Matodor lawsuit. Representing El Diablo, Inc., the owner of Pesos Kitchen & Lounge, Mr. Walters helped prosecute misappropriation of trade secrets and trade dress infringement claims. The case settled favorably after 5 weeks of trial.
David Reed negotiated six figure settlement on behalf of woman police officer against her employer-city in sexual harassment claim.
Mark D. Walters is one of the first attorneys in Washington to represent an employee—a high-ranking executive for a Fortune 500 company—in a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower case. The case settled in the high six figures at mediation after Mr. Walters presented the former employer with a draft of his Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Complaint.
In the Spring of 2011, Mark D. Walters represented Washington State Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland (ret.), who was appointed Guardian ad Litem for Michael R. Mastro in Washington’s largest bankruptcy proceeding. Mr. Walters served as an intern clerk for Justice Ireland when she was a King County Superior Court Judge.
David Reed successfully defended an entrepreneur and his new company against a $2.3 million claim that he breached fiduciary duties in taking the business away from his former employer. Verdict after one month jury trial: $34,000.
Mark D. Walters developed and prosecuted a defense strategy in a trade dress infringement lawsuit involving a bottle design brought by Talking Rain against Sobe. The case was won on summary judgment and the court invalidated Talking Rain's federal trade dress registration.
David Reed negotiated multiple six figure settlements in claims by minority shareholders in cases of oppression against majority shareholders and companies.
Mark D. Walters represented a False Claims Act qui tam whistleblower who filed suit on behalf of the United States. The case resulted in a $18.5 million recovery. The U.S. government awarded the qui tam relators 18.5 percent (approximately $3.4 million) of the settlement under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provision.
David Reed negotiated a six figure professional liability settlement on behalf of a company against its CPA for his failure to advise about internal controls which had resulted in embezzlement.
Mark D. Walters prosecuted a pregnancy discrimination case after the corporation laid the employee off when she was eight months pregnant. The case settled for $97,000.