Steven A. Stolle, Owner
Steve is a native Washingtonian and long-time resident of Seattle. Prior to law school, Steve and his wife owned and operated a successful restaurant business north of Seattle. Steve draws on his practical business experience to provide cost-effective results to his clients. With extensive experience in both insurance defense and insurance coverage, Steve is uniquely qualified to step in and provide a vigorous defense to clients whose insurers have denied a tender of defense, while working with their insurers to obtain coverage and reimbursement of incurred defense fees and costs. And when necessary, Steve has successfully sued recalcitrant insurers for wrongfully denying a defense to their insureds.
Having worked both for and against some of the world’s largest insurance companies, Steve has the experience, perspective, and sound judgment to provide his clients the best possible case assessment and counsel in the most complex and difficult matters.
Steve’s current practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including insurance coverage and bad faith, construction defects, and other real estate issues.
Before founding the Stolle Law Group, Steve spent over sixteen years working in Seattle law firms specializing in commercial, intellectual property, and securities litigation; insurance defense of complex, high-value claims, including wrongful death; and complex insurance coverage matters regarding environmental liabilities, brownfields, product liability, premises liability, additional insured claims, and professional liability, representing both insurance companies and insureds.
Steve also is an experienced arbitrator, serving as an arbitrator for the King County Mandatory Arbitration Department for over ten years and arbitrating dozens of cases.
When not practicing law, Steve enjoys beach combing, traveling with his family, and reading everything from Sherlock Holmes mysteries to Dostoevsky.
Education
J.D., Seattle University School of Law, 2000; Editor of Lead Articles, Seattle University Law Review, 1999-2000
Admissions to Practice
Washington State Courts, 2000
Oregon State Courts, 2010
United States District Court, Western District of Washington 2000; Eastern District 2010
United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington, 2003
United States District Court, District of Oregon, 2013
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2001
United States Supreme Court, 2011
Memberships
Washington State Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Association
Published Cases
Bryant v. Country Life Ins. Co., 414 F.Supp.2d 981 (W.D.Wash. 2006)
Harmony at Madrona Park Homeowners' Ass'n v. Madison Harmony Develop., 143 Wn. App. 345, 177 P.3d 755 (Div. 1, 2008)
Aecon Bldgs., Inc. v. Vandermolen Constr. Co., 155 Wn. App. 733, 230 P.3d 594 (Div. I, 2009)
Wash. State Major League Baseball Stadium Pub. Facilities Dist. v. Huber, Hunt & Nichols-Kiewit Const. Co., 176 Wn.2d 502, 296 P.3d 821 (2013)
Seaway Properties, LLC v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co., 16 F.Supp.3d 1240 (W.D.Wash. 2014)
Reported Unpublished Decisions
160 Lee St. Condo. Homeowners' Ass'n v. Mid-Century Ins. Co., No. C17-1170-MJP, 2018 U.S.Dist. LEXIS 71359 (W.D.Wash. April 30, 2018), summary judgment for insured condo association for wrongful denial of multiple claim elements on insured fire loss.
Bagot v. SMRB, LLC, No. 84440-7 (Div. 1, April 25, 2024) (Unpublished), decision after granting motion for discretionary review, reversing trial court’s denial of summary judgment dismissal based on res judicata.
Bentrott Fam. Props. LLC v. Foremost Ins. Co. Grand Rapids Mich., No. 3:22-cv-05319-TMC (W.D.Wash. August 9, 2024), granting summary judgment in favor of insured on multiple claims and predicting the Washington Supreme Court would conclude that, once the insured has met its burden to show initial coverage for a loss on an all-risk policy, it is insurer’s burden to show the covered peril was not part of the sequence of events leading to the loss at issue, i.e., that the efficient proximate cause doctrine does not apply.
Presidium Emerald City, LLC et al. v Hemmingsen, et al., King County Cause No. 23-2-24385-4 SEA (Orders dated March 28, April 24, May 22, and July 15, 2025), successfully moved to vacate order of default and default judgment for joint and several liability of $9.5 million against two defendants, defeated motion to reinstate judgment against one defendant, and, on plaintiffs’ motion for fees and costs incurred obtained reduction from requested $64,000 to $25,000.
Swanson v. Western Nat’l Mut. Ins. Co., King County Cause No. 23-2-16117-3 SEA (Order dated November 6, 2025), summary judgment to insured’s assignee on all claims, for coverage, negligent claims handling, insurance bad faith, violation of CPA, and violation of IFCA.
Pierini, et al., v. Barone, No. 87575-2 (Div. 1, March 16, 2026) (Unpublished), affirming summary judgment granting declaratory relief in favor of plaintiff easement holders.