McKean J. Evans (he/him/his)

• Goodman v. First Unum Life Ins. Co., No. 2:21-cv-00902-BJR, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77317 (W.D. Wash. May 3, 2023) (obtained judgment in favor of disabled marketing executive against disability insurer);
• Mercer v. Truck Ins. Exch., No. 21-2-04933-4 KNT (King Cty. Super. Ct., Oct. 12, 2022) (granting motion for summary judgment in favor of homeowners denied insurance coverage for damage to their home from a windstorm);
• Chapin v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, 2:19-CV-01256-RAJ, 2021 WL 1090749 (W.D. Wash. Mar. 22, 2021) (obtained judgment in favor of a software engineer at a Seattle-area tech firm who was wrongfully denied disability insurance benefits);
• Dean v. Nationwide Insurance Company of America, et al., Case No. 19-2-24227-2 SEA (King Cty. Super. Ct.) (obtained confidential settlement on behalf of Seattle-area homeowner alleging her insurance carrier and its affiliated contractor mishandled her insurance claim for damage to her home from a burst water heater);
• Schmidt v. Allstate Insurance Company, Case No. 3:19-cv-05598-RBL (W.D. Wash.) (obtained $125,000 settlement for driver whose auto insurance carrier refused to pay the full amount of underinsured motorist insurance benefits after she was injured by an underinsured driver);
• Sagan v. Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston, Case No. 2:19-cv-01006-MJP (W.D. Wash.) (represented Seattle software engineer in lawsuit against the insurance company that denied her disability insurance claim after injuries rendered her unable to use a computer; the insurer paid the claim shortly after suit was filed);
• Bruce v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, Case No. 18-2-25741-7-SEA (King Cty. Super. Ct.) (obtained $700,000 settlement for homeowner in Seattle’s Central District against her homeowner’s insurance company after the insurer wrongfully denied coverage for a sewage flood that rendered her property uninhabitable);
• Harrison v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., Inc., C18-903 RSM, 2019 WL 954964 (W.D. Wash. Feb. 27, 2019) (obtained judgment in favor of a Seattle employee who was denied disability benefits solely because she failed to notify the insurance company of her claim until she was physically able to leave her bed).

McKean is often asked to speak on topics relevant to his practice, including as faculty at Continuing Legal Education programs for attorneys. Some of his recent presentations include:

• How to Spot Bad Faith Early in UIM Claims, Driggs, Bills & Day, PLLC (March 9, 2021);
• How to Recognize and Utilize ERISA in Your Employment Cases, Washington Employment Lawyers’ Association (October 15, 2020); and
• Individual Liability in Bad Faith Actions: Theories of Recovery, Defenses, Current Case Law, Strafford CLE (August 16, 2018).

McKean received the designation “Super Lawyer,” an accolade given by Thomson Reuters to less than five percent of attorneys in Washington State based on a high degree of peer recognition or professional competence, in 2021. McKean previously received the designation “Rising Star,” a recognition given to young lawyers based on a similar peer review process, in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

McKean publishes the Seattle Insurance and ERISA Blog and is a frequent author on insurance and ERISA matters in the Seattle legal community. His recent publications include:

• ERISA Plans and Damages in Employment Disputes, Washington State Association for Justice (“WSAJ”) Trial News (July/August 2020);
• COVID-19 Insurance Challenges, King County Bar Association (“KCBA”) Bar Bulletin (May 2020);
• Insurance Company’s Duty to Reasonably Investigate Your Client’s Claim, WSAJ Trial News (November 2019);
• Best Practices for Handling Your Clients’ Employer-Sponsored Insurance Disputes Under ERISA, KCBA Bar Bulletin (February 2019);
• Beware of Policy Renewal Bear Traps, KCBA Bar Bulletin (March 2018).

During law school, McKean provided pro bono representation to indigent persons seeking Social Security Disability benefits. He also served on the school’s Law Review and published the journal article The Future of Conflicts Between Islamic and Western Financial Systems: Profit, Principle and Pragmatism, 71 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 819 (2010). He received numerous scholarly awards including the “Order of the Barristers” for excellent oral and written advocacy at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, the CALI “Award for Excellence in the Future” in Constitutional Law and in Freedom of Religion, and the Dean’s Scholarship for outstanding academic performance.