Managing Attorney
Email
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Isaac Ruiz
Managing Attorney
Education
- University of Texas at Austin, 1996
- Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 2000, magna cum laude; Notre Dame Law Review
Bar Admissions
- Washington, 2004
About
Isaac is the founder and managing attorney of Ruiz & Smart. He has been practicing law for over 25 years and has worked with the same legal team on his cases—with some valuable additions along the way—since 2007.
Isaac's mission is to “fight like hell for justice on behalf of real people, often against large, well-funded, and dogged opponents.” He believes our clients deserve to have the best legal team that there is, period.
Isaac has helped clients recover many millions of dollars while giving thousands of hours back in service to the community. He is a member of various bar associations and his name has been included on Thomson Reuters’ “Super Lawyers” list in Washington state every year since 2019, including in 2026, and the list of “Top 100” Super Lawyers in Washington from 2020 to 2023.
As a child, Isaac knew he wanted to be a lawyer from watching L.A. Law on TV. The son of Mexican immigrants (Isaac’s dad was a farm laborer and his mom a seamstress at a Levi’s factory), Isaac excelled in school from a young age—think debate club, first chair in band, stage manager for the one-act play, student of the year, DAR Good Citizens Award, American Legion Boys State. Meanwhile, Isaac also worked alongside his family in farm fields after school and sold watermelons on the side of the road over summer vacations.
Isaac is a big believer in small-town values. Growing up, Isaac’s house was next door to a convent, two doors down from his church, across the street from his elementary school, and two blocks away from his grandparents’ house.
Isaac was the first person in his family to graduate from college and then went on to earn his law degree, magna cum laude, from Notre Dame. After law school, Isaac served as a law clerk for the Honorable Carlos F. Lucero for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver from 2000 to 2002. As a younger lawyer, Isaac worked for major law firms such as Arnold & Porter, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schrek, and Perkins Coie.
Isaac believes he and his team are doing their best work at Ruiz & Smart. If you’ve browsed this website, you will already know many of the cases handled by Ruiz & Smart challenge the business practices of insurance companies. Though some consider insurance boring—and most law students leave law school without having learned much about it—the attorneys at Ruiz & Smart know that the wellbeing of individuals, families, and entire communities depends in large part on insurance companies living up to their promises and their legal responsibilities.
Notable Cases
- Homeowners Claim Against American Family — Hard-fought victory and significant settlement for an Enumclaw, Washington family, allowing them to rebuild their classic home.
- Grocery Store Destruction by Fire — State-court litigation in Quincy, Washington; obtained relief that allowed the store to be rebuilt from the foundation.
- Fire on Boat in Seattle — Represented owner of a vessel that burned on Lake Union; obtained a large settlement after insurer accused policyholder of arson.
- Underinsured Motorist Claim Against State Farm — Federal litigation from a high-speed rear-end collision; achieved favorable settlement.
- Manufactured Home Insurance Claim Against Foremost — Federal litigation over significant water loss and failures to investigate/provide housing; favorable settlement.
- Denial of Life-Saving Treatment by Uniform Medical Plan — Court determined HTCC implementation unconstitutional; secured life-saving spinal cord stimulator for client.
- King County & Brightwater Plant Defects — Unique policy endorsement; multimillion-dollar recovery for the County.
- Covenant Judgment & Bad Faith Against Farmers — Defended covenant judgment in Bird v. Best Plumbing (WA Supreme Court) and pursued bad faith; favorable result.
- Major Water Damage in High-End Kalama Home — $2.8M appraisal award, multiples over insurer’s offer; extracontractual claims later settled.
- Motorcycle Crashes — Multi-million-dollar settlement for client with life-altering injuries.
- Injuries Caused by Security Staff at Bartell — Favorable result for elder knocked down during attempted shoplifter apprehension.
- Police Officer Gunshot Injury — Settled for most of defendant’s available assets.
- Foreign Objects in Food — Represented clients (e.g., nail in Starbucks sandwich) for mouth-injury cases.
- Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Against wafla — Multiple cases involving conduct by the organization’s leader.
- Lawsuit Against Washington State Bar Association — Represented WSBA employee; settled pre-trial.
- Kaiser v. CSL Plasma — Discrimination case involving a transgender woman; favorable federal summary-judgment order before resolution.
Publications & Presentations
- Speaker, IFCA on Trial, Washington State Association for Justice, Seattle, WA (December 2024)
- Author, Chapter 8: Discovery, Insurance Law Deskbook, Washington State Association for Justice (2022)
- Speaker, IFCA Update, Washington State Association for Justice Annual Convention (September 2021)
- Co-Presenter, Courtroom Conduct—Best Tips for Overcoming Phobias and Bias Against Your LGBTQ Clients, Washington State Bar Association, Navigating the Landscape of LGBTQ Issues in the 21st Century (2018)
- Presenter, Civil Rights Issues Impacting the Trans and GNC Community, King County Bar Association, Common Legal Issues and Barriers for the Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Community, Seattle, Washington (2017)
- Panelist, Community Concerns and Complaints, Community Involvement and Oversight, Washington State Bar Association, A Look at People of Color: Racial Progress or a Deepening Racial Divide, Seattle, Washington (2017)
- Panelist, Collective Bargaining and Police Oversight, National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), 23rd Annual NACOLE Conference, Spokane, Washington (2017).
- Presenter, UIM + IFCA: Two Acronyms that Go Together, WSAJ’s Auto Cases Seminar, Seattle, Washington (2017)
- Co-Chair & Co-Presenter, Avoiding the Pitfalls of Appraisal, Washington State Association for Justice’s 38th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, Seattle, Washington, and Spokane, Washington (2016)
- Co-Presenter, LGBTQ Discrimination in Public Accommodations, Washington State Bar Association’s LGBT Rights: Issues and Practice Areas (2016)
- Co-Chair & Presenter, Insurance Fair Conduct Act Update, Washington State Association for Justice’s 37th Annual Insurance Law Seminar, Seattle, Washington, and Spokane, Washington (2015)
- Co-Presenter, Duty or No Duty?, concerning the duty to defend in liability insurance policies, American Bar Association’s 2015 Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, Tucson, Arizona (2015)
- Co-Presenter, “American Sniper”: What to Do When Good Faith Goes Bad, Puget Sound Adjusters Association’s 4th Annual Spring Symposium (2015) Presenter, A Claimant’s View of IFCA, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers’ Annual Insurance Law Update, Seattle, Washington (2015).
- Author, Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act: Cases and Analysis, the definitive guide to Washington’s groundbreaking insurance law (2014 & 2015 Supp.). Book received positive review in the WSAJ Trial News and proved popular among lawyers on plaintiff and defense sides.
- Author, Legislative History of Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act, which makes available (for the first time ever) written transcripts of the House and Senate committee hearings that led to IFCA’s passage (2014).
- Author, "Lost in Translation: The Needs of Spanish Language Policyholders," published in WSAJ Trial News (2014)
- Author, On the Remedial Nature of the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, published in the Gonzaga Law Review (2014)
- Author, "Seven Years After the Insurance Fair Conduct Act," published on the first page of the King County Bar Bulletin (2014)
- Author, "The Insurance Fair Conduct Act & Liability Insurance Policies," published in WSAJ Trial News (2014)
- Presenter, IFCA and Bad Faith Insurance Claims, WSAJ’s Legal Staff Section (2014)
- Presenter, IFCA Claims Without a Denial of Coverage, WSAJ’s 35th Annual Insurance Law Seminar: Hot Topics in Insurance Law (2013)
- Co-Presenter, Insurance Fair Conduct Act: Point-Counterpoint, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers’ Annual Insurance Law Update (2013)
- Author, "My Letter to the Trustees of the La Feria Schools on the Handling of Jeydon Loredo’s Yearbook Photo" (2013), published by the Huffington Post. The letter involved a high school principal’s decision to ban a transgender teen from appearing in a yearbook.
- Author, "IFCA Claims Without a Denial of Coverage," published in WSAJ Trial News (2012)
Recognitions & Awards
- Super Lawyers, 2015–2025
- “Top 100” Super Lawyers in Washington, 2020–2023
Professional & Civic Involvement
- Commissioner and three-time co-chair, Seattle Community Police Commission.
- Served as commissioner and three-time co-chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission, the official community-centered accountability body first created as part of the ongoing federal consent decree.
- Written and regularly updated the IFCA Book, which is the definitive guide to Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act (“IFCA”) and is relied upon by many plaintiff attorneys.
- Lectured regularly (Isaac has lost count) to industry groups and community on the topics of insurance law, civil rights, and police reform.
- Edited and completed the bench-bar guide on LGBTQ issues, used by judges in the State of Washington.
- Served as board member and president of the board of Entre Hermanos, which provides health services to members of the Latinx LGTBQ community.
- Served as board member and president of the board of the QLaw Foundation, which provides free legal services to members of the LGBTQ community.
- Enrolled as a member of the Washington State Association for Justice (“WSAJ”) Eagle program for 10 years and served as chair of the insurance section of the WSAJ in the past.
Attorney
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David Fadduol
Attorney
Education
- Boston University, B.A. Psychology, 2011
- The University of New Mexico, J.D., 2015
Bar Admissions
- New Mexico, 2015
- Washington, 2023
About
David has exclusively worked for people who have been injured or killed because of the negligence of others. He believes in holding others accountable and helping his clients find closure through the legal process.
His legal career began before he went to law school, in Lubbock, Texas, where he worked for a firm that handled catastrophic oilfield, car crashes, and wrongful death cases. David attended law school at The University of New Mexico and continued working for the same firm in their Albuquerque office, staying on there after graduating. During his time there, David helped his clients obtain six and seven-figure settlements.David went on to work representing people who had been injured through medical malpractice and eventually opened his own firm handling all types of personal injury cases. While he enjoyed the independence of having his own firm, David missed the connection of working with others. He is grateful to practice alongside the other attorneys at Ruiz and Smart.
In practice, David takes pride in his ability to treat his clients with compassion and understands the importance of communication when representing a person navigating the civil legal system. He is able to help his clients identify what is important to them and use his expertise to help them obtain the results that they deserve. Working for individuals is what drives him and David truly enjoys serving those who are injured.
When he is not working, David spends his time with his wife, two dogs, and two cats. On most weekends, you will find David and his family tuned into the Formula 1 races. He can also make an incredible loaf of bread and enjoys taking photos while adventuring outdoors.
Attorney
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Brenna Pink Pampena
Attorney
Education
- Seattle University, B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, 2011
- Seattle University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2024
Bar Admissions
- Washington, 2024
About
Brenna is known for her strong commitment to justice, advocacy, and client care and institutes a people-first approach with every case. Prior to practicing law, Brenna built a diverse professional background including roles in marketing, Human Resources, and nonprofit development. This diverse experience allows Brenna to deliver legal services with empathy, clarity, and professionalism.
While at Seattle University School of Law, Brenna served as Co-President of the school's National Lawyers Guild chapter and was Managing Editor of the American Indian Law Journal. Her prior legal experience includes a clerkship with the Tulip Tribal Court and an internship with the Immigrant Justice Clinic.
In her spare time, Brenna loves spending time with her family, taking long walks with her dog, enjoys true crime podcasts, and loves to sing karaoke. She is also actively involved with her community. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Washington Middle School PTSA, has volunteered with the Girl Scouts of America since 2019, and volunteers with the Seattle Opera Guild.
Professional & Civic Involvement
- Washington State Bar Association, Editorial Advisory Committee Member, 2025-2027
- Washington State Association for Justice, Co-Chair Insurance Law Section, 2025
Legal Assistant
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Rachel Cabral
Legal Assistant
Education
- Seattle University, B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy, 2023
About
Legal Assistant
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Chris Jarman
Legal Assistant
Education
- University of Washington, B.A. Law, Societies & Justice
- St. Mary of the Woods College, B.A. Paralegal Studies
About
Chris brings over 20 years of experience in the legal industry. She has been a part of the core team for over 10 years.
Chris received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, Society, and Justice from the University of Washington and then obtained her Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies from St. Mary of the Woods College.
In her spare time, Chris tends to her property where she has horses, donkeys, and dogs.
Firm Administrator & Paralegal
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Paige C. Lewis
Firm Administrator & Paralegal
Education
- Portland State University, B.A. in Sociology, 1998
About
Paige has over 30 years of experience in the legal field and has worked with Isaac Ruiz for most of that. Paige serves as Co-Chair of the Washington State Association of Justice's section for legal staff.
Paige began working in the legal field while still in high school and is a diehard Pittsburg Penguins hockey fan.
Legal Assistant
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Shannon K. McKeon
Legal Assistant
Education
- Gonzaga University School of Business Administration, B.B.A. in Economics and International Business, 1993
- Empire College School of Law, attended
About
Shannon was born and raised in Libby, Montana, and has over 25 years of experience in the legal industry. She has worked with Isaac Ruiz for much of that time. Shannon has played an important role in many insurance bad faith, injury, employment, securities, and class-action cases.
Shannon is the most cheerful person you will ever meet and helps make clients feel at ease.
Paralegal
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Lauren Powell
Paralegal
Education
- Washington State University, B.A. in Criminal Justice & Criminology with a major in Psychology, magna cum laude, 2020
About
Lauren has over 10 years of experience interacting with people in a variety of roles. She has been in the legal field for the past four years.
Paralegal
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Adam Skraban
Paralegal
Education
- University of Washington, B.A. Law, Societies & Justice, 2025
About
Adam spent a number of years in the service industry while attending the University of Washington providing him with valuable experience interacting with a variety of different people and learning to adapt to situations and think on his feet.
While in school, Adam had the opportunity to spend time learning at other universities, from a summer program at Columbia University to a spring session at the University of Auckland as a Stromberg Scholar.
Adam has spent time volunteering for the Snohomish Food bank and also interned as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with the Family Law department of King County where he helped children navigate divorce and assisted parents with establishing permanent parenting plans.
In his free time, Adams enjoys listening to music, watching movies and tv shows, and playing tennis.
Retired Attorney
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William C. Smart (Retired)
Retired Attorney
Ruiz & Smart continues to build on Will Smart’s legacy, the trailblazing trial lawyer who decades ago founded our team. Will received the designation “Super Lawyer” for more than 20 years.
Will retired from active practice in April 2024.
His well-known cases included those involving insurance bad faith, traumatic brain injury, medical malpractice and securities fraud. Will handles cases for individuals, groups, corporations or professionals. He litigated matters in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Montana, Ohio, the Shorelines Hearings Board, and the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals as well as various tribal courts.
Mr. Smart also devoted his time to land and water conservation through the Trust for Public Land and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
Notable Cases
- Merriman v. American Guarantee, 198 Wn. App. 594, 396 P.3d 351 (2017)
- Bird v. Best Plumbing Group, LLC, 287 P.3d 551, Wash., October 25, 2012 (NO. 86109-9)
- Bird v. Best Plumbing Group, LLC, 161 Wash.App. 510, 260 P.3d 209 (2011)
- Dussault ex rel. Walker-Van Buren v. American Intern. Group, Inc., 123 Wash.App. 863, 99 P.3d 1256 (Wash.App. Div. 1 Nov 01, 2004) (NO. 53513-7-I)
- Piper v. Department of Labor and Industries, 120 Wash.App. 886, 86 P.3d 1231 (Wash.App. Div. 3 Mar 30, 2004) (NO. 21526-1-III)
- Halverson v. Skagit County, 139 Wash.2d
- Brown v. Snohomish County Physicians Corp., 120 Wash.2d 747, 845 P.2d 334, 61 USLW 2523 (Wash. Feb 11, 1993) (NO. 59018-4)
- State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Hooks, 787 P.2d 906 (Wash. Feb 22, 1990) (NO. 54950-8)
- Kenworthy v. Pennsylvania General Ins. Co., 113 Wash.2d 309, 779 P.2d 257 (Wash. Sep 21, 1989) (NO. 54950-8, 55149-9)
- Meaney v. Dodd, 111 Wash.2d 174, 759 P.2d 455 (Wash. Jul 15, 1988) (NO. 53891-3)
- Mutual of Enumclaw Ins. Co. v. Cox, 110 Wash.2d 643, 757 P.2d 499 (Wash. Jun 09, 1988) (NO. 53003-3)
- Orion Corp. v. State, 109 Wash.2d 621, 747 P.2d 1062, 18 Envtl. L. Rep. 20,697 (Wash. Dec 17, 1987) (NO. 52165-4, 52529-3)
- Meaney v. Dodd, 47 Wash.App. 386, 735 P.2d 100 (Wash.App. Div. 1 Apr 08, 1987) (NO. 17458-4-I)
- Rodriguez v. Williams, 107 Wash.2d 381, 729 P.2d 627 (Wash. Dec 11, 1986) (NO. 52535-8)
- Rodriguez by Brennan v. Williams, 42 Wash.App. 633, 713 P.2d 135 (Wash.App. Div. 1 Jan 21, 1986) (NO. 13166-4-I)
- Evans v. Steinberg, 40 Wash.App. 585, 699 P.2d 797 (Wash.App. Div. 1 May 09, 1985) (NO. 13647-O-I)
- Provost v. Puget Sound Power and Light Co., 103 Wash.2d 750, 696 P.2d 1238 (Wash. Mar 14, 1985) (NO. 51139-0)
- Orion Corp. v. State, 103 Wash.2d 441, 693 P.2d 1369, 22 ERC 1057 (Wash. Jan 11, 1985) (NO. 49941-1)
- Halverson v. Skagit County, 42 F.3d 1257 (9th Cir.(Wash.) Dec 12, 1994) (NO. 93-35783)
- Hiner v. Longstaff, 543 F.Supp. 1123 (W.D.Wash. Apr 13, 1982) (NO. C80-1238B)
Past Employment
Keller Rohrback L.L.P, Tier I Partner, 1977–2019Education
- Princeton University, B.A., cum laude, 1974
- Willamette University, Juris Doctor, 1977
Bar Court Admissions
1978, Washington 1978, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington 1993, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2004, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of WashingtonRecognitions Super Lawyers 2001–2021Awards
Super Lawyers Top 100 2020–2021Professional & Civic Involvement
- King County Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
- Washington State Association for Justice, Member
- American Trial Lawyers Association, Member
- Defense Trial Lawyers Association, Member; Past Trustee
- Past Chairman, Washington State Board, The Trust for Public Land
- Member, National Advisory Council, The Atlantic Salmon Federation
Publications
- Strict Liability and Criminal Sanctions: The 1971 Revisions to the Oregon Criminal Code,” 13 Willamette Law Journal 365, 1977.
- Contributor to WSAJ (formerly WSTLA).
- “Policy Limit Settlement Brings Measure of Redemption Out of Tragedy for First Generation Americans,” WSTLA Trial News, July/August 2000
- “Insurance Bad Faith Settlement Is Successful Sequel to Wrongful Death Case,” WSTLA Trial News, January 2000 (Contributed with Andrew Bergh)
- “Private Attorneys and EEOC Team Up to Combat Sexual Harassment, Retaliation in Aerospace Industry,” WSTLA Trial News, January 2001, Volume 36, No. 5
- “Race Discrimination Claim Converts to Insurance Bad Faith Case,” WSTLA Trial News, 2003
- Tort Law Update: Rising Above Tort Deform: WSTLA CLE, November 2003
- “New Challenges to the Settlement of Multi-Party Cases”
- Insurance Bad Faith Claims in Washington: Lorman Seminar, July 2004
Paralegal
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Marilyn Wagoner-Funk
Paralegal
Education
- Seattle University, B.A. in Business Administration
- Edmonds Community College, Paralegal Certification
About
Marilyn is a litigation specialist paralegal with over 40 years of experience in trial work. She is knowledgable in all areas of litigation, discovery, trial preparation, trial presentation, arbitration hearings, and mediation. Her knowledge and experience in both plaintiff and insurance defense work provide a unique perspective that aids the firm with case evaluation and provides insight on potential case handling to achieve the best benefits and outcomes for our clients.
In her spare time, Marilyn enjoys making jewelry, sewing, gardening, rockhounding, skiing, and tennis.