Commissioner Bradford G. Moore (Ret.) joins JAMS after serving as a court commissioner in the King County Superior Court Ex Parte Department. Prior to his appointment to that post in December 2019, Mr. Moore was a sole practitioner in Seattle, emphasizing personal injury litigation and related insurance issues, business and real estate litigation, and claims against guardians, attorneys and other fiduciaries. He also has experience with statewide and national class actions, including actions involving employees’ wage and commission claims, mortgage “junk” fees and securities frauds.

Prior to his appointment as a court commissioner, Mr. Moore served as a pro tem judge in both superior and district courts and was a frequent UIM and MAR arbitrator in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Yakima counties. 

Mr. Moore had these words posted on his bench: patient, dignified and courteous. He approaches mediation with these values in mind and works diligently to bring resolution and closure for parties. As an arbitrator, he patiently allows parties an opportunity to be heard and respects all parties’ views while following the law and moving the process to conclusion.

All matters below were handled as an attorney except as otherwise noted.

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• Numerous breach of contract disputes
• As an ex parte commissioner, presided over multiple contested hearings to manage several complex receiverships, including $50 million student housing complex in Pullman, WA; medical biotechnology startup developing virus vaccines; and numerous large Seattle apartment building projects
• FINRA claims against investment brokers, including claims of waiver, lack of insurance coverage and issues of apportionment of limited settlement funds
• Represented co-owners of numerous partnerships/closely held businesses in disputes between co-owners; negotiated and shepherded division of ownership interests/removal of co-owners
• As a businessman, owned and operated both a law firm and small business in the Seattle area and is thus knowledgeable in all aspects of running a business, including employment issues, licensing and taxes
• Class Action & Mass Tort
• Class actions seeking back pay and other damages for paving company workers who were denied meal periods and rest breaks
• Estate Probate Trusts
• Disputes involving accounting and asset valuation
• Disputes involving contested wills and trusts
• Disputes between trust and estate beneficiaries
• Took the lead in the King County Ex Parte Department to develop comprehensive procedures to implement the Uniform Guardianship Act
• Protracted dispute involving children’s interests in their parents’ estates after parents were killed in a small plane crash, as well as issues relating to settlement of a wrongful death action against the pilot of the airplane 
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple hearings in a complicated minor guardianship and trust matter when an agreement between longtime friends fell apart for care of the children of a mother who was diagnosed with a fatal disease
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple hearings in a complicated estate and trust matter involving interests in, and sale of, numerous commercial real estate parcels and a family real estate business in Seattle
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple hearings in a complicated adult guardianship and trust matter involving spouses whose progressing health issues made them unable to manage the family’s nationwide real estate holdings
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple hearings in a complicated adult guardianship and trust matter involving the owner of multiple businesses throughout the Northwest, which was significantly complicated by his facing felony criminal charges
• Represented the interests of minor children whose uncle was appointed as guardian of significant funds received from the parents’ wrongful death claim; uncle “invested” the children’s funds in his own business and lost all the money
• Family Law
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple emergency family law hearings, including a child who ran away and admitted herself to pediatric psychiatric care, resulting in the facility refusing to cooperate in returning the child to the parent with legal custody despite multiple court orders
• Many child custody, property, child support and spousal support disputes in family law cases
• Insurance
• First- and third-party coverage disputes
• Claims handling and bad faith disputes
• Excess insurance exposure matters
• Insurance coverage for an ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigation and enforcement under client’s commercial general liability policy.
• Personal Injury
• Numerous personal injury and tort matters, many involving multiple parties and implicating complex issues of insurance coverage and allocation of settlement monies among multiple parties; claims have involved injury and/or death from asbestos, tortious assaults, airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, bottled drinks, apparel, lead paint, pharmaceuticals and many others
• Dram shop/legal negligence/vicarious liability case involving fatality caused by drunk driver
• Pedestrian struck in a crosswalk by a drunk driver, causing multiple serious injuries; matter included complicated insurance issues
• Brick mason injured on the job when a temporary brick wall collapsed on him; matter involved complicated relationship between general contractor and subcontractor
• Motorcyclist injured when a commercial truck failed to stop at a stop sign, resulting in life-threatening injuries, including multiple facial fractures 
• Appointed as a Washington special assistant attorney general representing Department of Labor and Industries in assigned injury claims
• Auto accident with debilitating head injury when woman was thrown from her boyfriend’s car at high speed; case also involved a secondary injury that occurred after a following car struck her a second time and left the scene
• Mirapex treatment for restless leg syndrome allegedly caused lack of impulse control
• Professional Liability
• Claims against professionals, including physicians, attorneys and accountants
• Alleged misdiagnosis and negligent treatment for woman with breast cancer; involved informed consent claim 
• Medical negligence claim against a hospital due to alleged inattention to patient’s long-standing seizure disorder while he was hospitalized
• Claims against an attorney estate administrator and an heir search company over 20 improperly excluded estate beneficiaries in an intestate probate
• Real Property
• Presided over multiple eviction hearings and follow-up proceedings in which the property resident refused to acknowledge the validity of court orders requiring the resident’s eviction from the property
• As an ex parte court commissioner, presided over multiple hearings to manage receivership of large commercial properties, including multiple-site assisted living facility in South Seattle and 200-plus-unit apartment complex in North Seattle
• Represented numerous real estate developers, assisting in finalizing short-platting, permitting and bringing large residential developments to market

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Member, Washington State Bar Association 
• Former Member, Washington State Association for Justice 
• Frequent Arbitrator, MAR and UIM Arbitrations 1985–2019
• Board Member and Volunteer Attorney, Catholic Community Services Legal Action Center, 1985–2014
• Board of Advisors, University of Washington Tyee Club

Selected Speaking Engagements

• Author and Speaker, “Subrogation Basics,” 4th Annual Insurance Law Basics Seminar, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 1996
• Author and Speaker, “Medicaid Recovery in Tort Claims,” Advanced Guardianship Issues Seminar, King County Bar Association, 2001
• Author and Speaker, “Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Law in Washington,” National Bar Institute, 2003

Background and Education

• Ex Parte Court Commissioner, King County Superior Court,  2019–2024
• Pro Tem Ex Parte Court Commissioner, King County Superior Court, 2014–2018
• Attorney, Sole Practitioner, 2000–2018
• Attorney (Partner), Leen & Moore 1979–2000
• Owner/Manager, Formco Products, Inc., 1981–1987 
• Pro Tem Judge, Seattle District Court, 1985–1986
• Volunteer Director, Lake City Legal Clinic (SKCBA), 1983–1986
• Attorney (Partner); Sindell, Moore, Levy & Leen; 1978–1979
• Attorney (Associate); Lundin, Estep, Sindell & Haley; 1977–1978
• J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1977
• B.A., University of Washington, 1973