Practice Areas:
Product Liability
Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith
Construction Law
General Liability
Broker and Agent
Education:
J.D., University of Notre Dame
B.A., University of California, Berkeley
Admitted to Practice:
State of Alaska
State of California
State of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
Professional Involvement
Alaska Bar Association
Foundation for Washington State Courts, Board Member
Association of Defense Trial Lawyers
AV Preeminent Women’s Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell (2014 – Present)
Best Lawyers' "Lawyer of the Year" (2019-Present)
Defense Research Institute, Past Board Member
Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (for over 23 years)
King County Bar Association
National Charity League, Evergreen Chapter, Past President
Pierce County Bar Association
Trial Attorneys of America
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, Past President
Washington Super Lawyers (2004 – Present)
Publications
FDCC Bootcamp Manual (2014-2022)
Washington Coverage update (2021)
WDTL Tegman Update on Joint and Several Liability (2021)
DRI Trial Skill Series: Trial Preparation (2019)
FDCC Winter Meeting: The Spearin Doctrine and its current status (2019)
FDCC Annual Meeting: Additional Insured Coverage (2018)
WDTL Insurance Law Seminar: Tendering for Additional Insured Coverage without suing the Named Insured (2018)
Joanne T. Blackburn
Partner
A native of Washington, Joanne takes a Northwest approach to practicing law. Joanne welcomes the opportunity to help her clients develop outside-the-box solutions that are designed to avoid protracted litigation. However, if the dispute needs to be settled in court, she is no stranger to the courtroom and welcomes the challenge. Before becoming a partner with Gillaspy Rhode Faddis & Benn LLC, Joanne was a partner with Garvey, Schubert & Barer in Seattle in 1999 and then later with Gordon Thomas Honeywell in 2008.
Joanne's primary areas of practice include defense litigation for businesses, products liability, construction, insurance coverage and broker and agency defense. She has successfully defended cases to verdict in Washington, California and Alaska courtrooms.
As a past president of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (WDTL), Joanne served on the board of directors for eight years, and is also a past Board Member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI). She is also currently serving on the Board of the Foundation for Washington State Courts, a bi-partisan group that raises money for the Washington State Courts. She has been an active member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) for over 23 years and served in numerous leadership roles for it. She is also an active member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). Joanne gives presentations on the different areas of her practice before the WDTL, DRI, FDCC and ADTA. She is currently a co-chair for the Diversity Committee for the FDCC and presented on the subject for several different organizations.
Joanne is also a long-time, active supporter and 10-year board member of FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for houseless and disadvantaged individuals.
In her spare time, she enjoys climbing, cooking, crabbing, and raising oysters as an Aqua Farmer in the San Juan Islands.