Daniel R. Bentson

Practice Experience

Dan Bentson is a shareholder in Bullivant Houser Bailey's Seattle office. His practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, including insurance coverage, bad faith litigation, admiralty and maritime litigation, and appeals. Dan frequently publishes and presents on topics relevant to in-house counsel, defense counsel, and insurers. For the last three years, Washington Super Lawyers has recognized Dan as a "Rising Star."

As an insurance coverage lawyer, Dan has represented and advised primary and excess insurers, and reinsurers in disputes involving property and various forms of liability insurance (e.g., commercial, professional, errors and omissions, etc.). Dan's defense experience further extends to representing insurers in coverage disputes involving life, disability, and accidental death policies. He has defended insurers in numerous lawsuits that involve claims of bad faith and extra-contractual liability.

Dan also has significant admiralty and maritime litigation experience. He has represented and advised marine underwriters in disputes involving hull and machinery, protection and indemnity, and cargo policies. And Dan has successfully defended maritime clients against seaman's personal injury claims, including claims brought under the Jones Act and general maritime law. This defense experience extends to several MARDOC cases, which were recently re-filed in state court. Dan has represented marine clients in a variety of business disputes, including maritime lien litigation.

In addition, Dan has a successful appellate practice. Before joining Bullivant, Dan served as a law clerk to Justice James Johnson of the Washington State Supreme Court. Dan has continued his appellate-related work at Bullivant and successfully represented clients before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Washington Court of Appeals. For example, Dan recently argued and prevailed on behalf of his clients before the Washington Court of Appeals. In that case, the court held that a decedent's decision to allow the statute of limitations to expire on his personal injury claim barred a subsequent wrongful death action by the decedent's estate.

Prior to joining Bullivant, Dan was a prosecutor and successful trial lawyer in the United States Army JAG Corps. While in the Army, Dan handled numerous felony prosecutions and served as lead counsel in a capital murder case. He deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and received the Bronze Star Medal for his service. Dan is also a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.