Molly Siebert Eckman

Member

: Seattle
999 Third Avenue
Suite 1900
Seattle, WA 98104
P: (206) 373-7229
TF: (800) 423-1950
F: (206) 621-8783

Molly Siebert Eckman

Molly Eckman's practice is concentrated in insurance coverage and defense. She currently serves as the Hiring Partner for the Seattle office.

Molly counsels and represents foreign and domestic insurers in a wide variety of coverage matters, including first-party flood, fire, life insurance, business interruption, and personal property claims, as well as third-party asbestos, assault and battery, products liability, construction defect, and environmental contamination claims. She is well-versed in claims handling guidelines and bad faith laws, and has successfully defended insurers against alleged violations of the same. In addition, Molly defends insureds against premises liability, employment discrimination, breach of contract, consumer class action, and legal malpractice claims. Molly handles coverage and defense litigation at both the trial court and appellate court levels.

Molly is committed to pro bono service and has assisted multiple clients seeking asylum in the United States. Along with the firm’s Seattle office, she received the 2005 Amicus Award from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, due to the branch's ongoing pro bono efforts on behalf of immigration and asylum clients.

Molly earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of San Diego in 2001, and studied abroad in Freiburg, Germany the second semester of her junior year. She earned her law degree, with honors, from the University of Washington School of Law in 2004, where she was associate editor-in-chief of the Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal, and a Student Bar Association class representative.

News

Molly Eckman Discusses New Law Affecting Environmental Coverage in OR [Law 360]

August 20, 2013

In an article titled, Oregon Ups the Ante for Insurers Facing Enviro Claims,

Cozen O’Connor Names 17 Attorneys To Membership in the Firm

May 04, 2011

Cozen O’Connor Names 17 Attorneys To Membership in the Firm. ''We congratulate this group of exceptional lawyers and are happy to welcome them into Membership in the firm,'' said Tad Decker, president and CEO of Cozen O’Connor. ''This promotion is the well-deserved result of their continuing hard work and dedication to their clients and the firm.''

Washington Court of Appeals Holds No Duty to Defend: An Invitation to Initiate Cleanup Is Not A Suit [Global Insurance Alert]

June 12, 2014

On June 2, 2014, the Washington State Court of Appeals issued a published opinion regarding what constitutes a “suit” in the context of environmental liability claims under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). The court held there must be “an explicit or implicit threat” from a government agency of “immediate and severe consequences by reason of the contamination” in order to trigger the duty to defend, and that no such threat was present. Gull Industries, Inc. v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., et al., No. 69569-0-I. The opinion is significant in light of existing Washington law that states that an insurer may be required to indemnify an owner or operator of contaminated property even if no agency has taken or overtly threatened formal legal action.

Update on 2013 Amendments to the Oregon Environmental Cleanup Assistance Act [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

May 06, 2014

In June 2013, the Governor of Oregon signed into law Senate Bill 814, which created sweeping reforms on environmental claims handling regulations and available remedies for insureds facing liability for cleanup of contaminated property located in the state. Cozen O’Connor previously provided...

Muddy Rules for Cleanup Claims [Best's Review]

October 03, 2013

Molly Eckman discusses the Senate Bill 814 which puts into law the creating of sweeping reforms on environmental claims-handling regulations and available remedies for insured facing liability for cleanup of contaminated property in the state of Oregon.

Oregon Senate Bill 814 Regarding Environmental Claims Handling Regulations [Global Insurance Alert]

June 17, 2013

On June 10, 2013, the governor of Oregon signed into law Senate Bill 814, creating sweeping reforms on environmental claims-handling regulations and available remedies for insureds facing liability for cleanup of contaminated property located in the state. The legislation is effective immediately.

Senate Bill 814 Proposes Sweeping and Retroactive Changes to Environmental Claims Handling in Oregon [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

May 21, 2013

On March 13, 2013, the Oregon legislature introduced Senate Bill 814 to create sweeping reforms on environmental claims handling regulations and available remedies for insureds facing liability for cleanup of contaminated property located in the state. The proposed legislation would amend the...

Senate Bill 814 Proposes Sweeping and Retroactive Changes to Environmental Claims Handling in Oregon [Global Insurance Alert]

May 06, 2013

To Avoid Bad Faith in Washington State, Insurers Must Provide a Defense if any Court Articulates an "Arguable Legal Interpretation" that a Claim is "Conceivably Covered" [Insurance Coverage Alert!]

March 23, 2010

To Avoid Bad Faith in Washington State, Insurers Must Provide a Defense if any Court Articulates an "Arguable Legal Interpretation" that a Claim is "Conceivably Covered" - Insurance Coverage Alert! - On March 18, 2010, the Washington State Supreme Court decided American Best Food, Inc. v. Alea London, Ltd.,1 --- P.3d ----, 2010 WL 963933 (Wash., Mar. 18, 2010), holding that (1) a complaint alleging injuries caused by an assault, and conduct by the insured following the assault, triggers a duty to defend, despite the policy’s exclusion for claims “arising out of assault and/or battery,” and regardless of whether the post-assault conduct is alleged to have resulted

Winter 2010 [Insurance Coverage Observer]

February 21, 2010

Winter 2010 - Insurance Coverage Observer -

Winter 2009 [Insurance Coverage Observer]

January 29, 2009

In this issue, we identify key coverage developments from the year 2008. We summarize recent court decisions dealing with coverage for toxic torts, environmental losses, construction defect and property losses. We also address new decisions in the areas of insolvency and reinsurance.

Summer 2008 [Insurance Coverage Observer]

August 30, 2008

We take pride at Cozen O’Connor in addressing new developments that will affect our clients. In this issue, we include a special report on two new decisions from New Jersey on bad faith in the UM/UIM context.

Webinar: Avoiding Waiver of Attorney Client/Work Product Privilege	Webinar	02/08/2017
2014 Seattle Insurance Seminar	Seattle, WA	09/25/2014
Oregon Department of Justice Environmental Claims Mediation Program Public Meeting	Salem, OR	12/02/2013
2009 Insurance Conference	Seattle, WA	09/22/2009