Ryan Hesselgesser

Practice Areas

Ryan Hesselgesser focuses his practice on insurance coverage, alleged bad faith litigation, and providing strategic counsel to insurers operating in Washington and Oregon. Ryan advises on both first- and third-party claims and offers guidance across a wide range of policies, including Commercial General Liability, Homeowners, Directors & Officers Liability, Construction, Environmental Liability, Technology, Professional Liability, Commercial Excess, Maritime, and Automobile.

Ryan frequently delivers presentations on Washington insurance claims handling, including issues related to alleged bad faith. He has extensive experience with IFCA, CPA, and common law bad faith claims, as well as Stipulated (Covenant) Judgments in Washington. Ryan has been the chair of the Insurance Committee for the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (WDTL) Association since 2024.

Career

• Presenter, “What Is Bad Faith?” 2021 Northwest Insurance Law Seminar, November 2021

• Presenter, “Business Interruption from COVID-19,” 2021 WDTL Insurance Law Seminar, March 2021

• Annual presenter at WDTL Insurance Seminar

• In house presentations to multiple clients regarding covenant judgments in the State of Washington

Professional Memberships

• Washington State Bar Association

• Oregon State Bar Association

• Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association (WDTL)

• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

• Northwest Insurance Coverage Association (NICA)

• King County Bar Association

• South Highline National Little League, President

Publications

• Contributing Author, “2019 A Year in Review: A Look at Significant Construction-Defect Decisions Around the Country,” Construction Claims, Spring 2020

Expert in these Jurisdictions

• Washington

• Oregon

• US District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington

• US District Court for Oregon

• US District Court for the District of Colorado

• US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Experience

• Obtained summary judgment for client on bad faith, IFCA claims re: whether defense or indemnity is owed.

• Successfully obtained summary judgment ruling of no coverage in professional liability coverage matter.

• Successfully defended four-day reasonableness hearing involving covenant judgment against insurer client, with court finding proposed covenant judgment settlement was unreasonable.

• Obtained summary judgment ruling on first-party coverage matter involving significant damage and successfully defended judgment on appeal.

• Successfully mediated numerous cases for insurers, avoiding significant bad faith litigation.

• Obtained favorable resolution for insurer with stipulation of no coverage from insured and client.

Education