Rodney L. "Rod" Umberger

Rod Umberger is the Managing Director of Williams Kastner, a Member in the Seattle office, and a member of the firm’s board of directors. A highly respected trial lawyer, Rod brings extensive experience across a wide spectrum of civil litigation, including product liability, transportation, toxic torts, premises liability, class actions, construction, and commercial litigation. He also regularly advises insurers as coverage and monitoring counsel in large loss matters.

Rod has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation annually since 2021. He was also one of only sixteen attorneys in Washington named a top civil litigation defense lawyer in the Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers magazine. His AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, held since 1998, reflects the highest level of professional excellence and peer recognition.

In the product liability arena, Rod has defended clients ranging from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers to makers of consumer goods, firearms, agricultural machinery, and industrial equipment. He has served as National Coordinating Counsel, Regional Trial Counsel, and MDL Counsel for manufacturers and retailers nationwide, and has developed deep experience in managing multidistrict litigation. He also advises companies involved in NTSB investigations, both as outside counsel and designated party representative.

Rod’s transportation law practice spans more than 30 years. He represents local and national trucking companies, private fleets for Fortune 100 companies, and excess insurers in catastrophic accident litigation, cargo claims, regulatory matters, and broker/carrier disputes. He is frequently brought in by excess carriers to assume trial responsibility for high-exposure cases and has served as National and Regional Counsel, as well as outside general counsel for a national transportation company.

His commercial litigation experience is broad and includes representing clients in breach of contract and fraud disputes, class actions, intellectual property litigation, and technology-related contract disputes. He has litigated matters involving D&O liability, trade secrets, noncompete agreements, FTC actions, and construction defect claims. His practice also includes defense of TCPA and CAN-SPAM Act class actions.

In premises liability, Rod defends a wide range of businesses—such as retail stores, financial institutions, and office buildings—throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also has a strong background in professional liability defense, representing physicians, dentists, pharmacists, hospitals, nursing homes, engineers, architects, and attorneys in litigation and disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, he serves as Regional Trial Counsel for a national retailer in pharmacy-related litigation across multiple states.