Samantha K. Pitsch
Attorney | Seattle
Areas of Practice
Samantha represents businesses, municipal entities, and individuals at trial and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Her practice centers on complex civil litigation matters such as aviation, commercial and insurance coverage disputes, product liability, and trust and estate issues. She brings extensive experience to all stages of civil litigation and appeals.
With a focus on aviation law, she assists airline clients in resolving passenger claims involving in-flight injuries, discrimination and accommodation issues, and other tort claims related to airside and ground operations. Her litigation work includes matters arising under the Air Carrier Access Act, the Airline Deregulation Act, the Montreal Convention and its predecessors, and the Federal Aviation Regulations. Her clients include commercial airlines, helicopter and floatplane operators, Part 91 and Part 135 operators, and airport operators.
Beyond her aviation work, she advises businesses and individuals in contract disputes, including insurance coverage litigation and indemnity-related claims. Her guidance on rights and obligations under indemnification provisions offers clients critical support in managing and defraying litigation costs.
Her product liability practice includes defending manufacturers against design and manufacturing defect claims, as well as litigation involving consumer protection statutes. She has represented auto manufacturers in warranty-related disputes, including claims under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and various state and federal consumer protection laws.
In the area of trust and estate litigation, she advocates for beneficiaries, executors, trustees, and other interested parties in disputes under Washington’s Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA). Her work spans mediation, arbitration, trials, and appeals.
Clients benefit from her proven track record, including successful motion practice, defense verdicts, appellate wins, and favorable settlements in high-exposure cases. From the earliest stages of a dispute, she is committed to achieving her clients’ goals through strategic, efficient, and results-driven litigation.
She is admitted to practice in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
Admissions
- Washington
- Alaska
- Oregon
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Education
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University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 2018, with honors
- CALI Award: Forensics
- Washington Law Review, Managing Editor
- Extern to Hon. James L. Robart, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- UW Legal Writing Fellow
- Willamette University, B.A., Politics, 2012, with Department Honors
Recognition & Honors
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® for Commercial Litigation (Seattle, WA), 2025-present
- Selected for inclusion as a Washington Super Lawyer—Rising Star, 2024-present
Representative Work
Aviation- Defended commercial airline in breach of contract and consumer protection act lawsuit.
- Defended commercial airline in lawsuit involving passenger-on-passenger assault.
- Defended multiple commercial airlines in litigation involving discrimination claims, including racial and disability discrimination.
- Regularly represents commercial airlines in lawsuits involving the Montreal Convention, the Airline Deregulation Act, and the Air Carrier Access Act.
- Regularly represents commercial airlines and airports in premises liability lawsuits.
- Regularly represents commercial airlines against passenger in-flight injuries and tort claims.
- Obtained defense verdict at trial for specialty contractor in personal injury lawsuit.
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal of claim against transit agency and operator applying sudden medical emergency defense.
- Obtained summary judgment granting relief for Consumer Protection Act claims brought by passengers of a taxi cab.
- Obtained multiple, favorable settlements for clients allowing them to avoid additional, costly litigation.
- Obtained summary judgment requiring defense of personal injury suit under contractual indemnification agreement.
- Obtained summary judgment requiring defense of breach of contract suit under insurance contract.
- Obtained multiple, favorable coverage outcomes for individuals and entities through pre-litigation advocacy.
- Regularly represents auto manufacturers in product liability claims.
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal of claim against national auto manufacturer regarding restraint system.
- Defended consumer protection act claim involving alleged glass defect.
- Obtained dismissal of clients in will contest dispute based on an untimely probate.
- Regularly represents individuals in highly contested trust and estate disputes.
Publications & Presentations
- "Sidewalk Safety and Liability: What Every Property Owner Should Know," StokesLaw Briefs (Dec. 2024)
- “Discrimination at Altitude—Application of (and defenses to) Anti-Discrimination Laws at the Airport and On Board,” King County Bar Association, Annual Pacific Northwest Aviation Law & Insurance Conference (Oct. 2023)
- “Importance of Model Rule 8.4(g) and Increasing Law Firm Diversity,” King County Bar Association, Aviation Section Program (2022)
- “Please Enter Your Password Here: Updates on (And Importance Of) Cybercrime Insurance,” GTTC Insurance Recovery Seminar (2022)
- “The Ethics of Practicing Virtually,” King County Bar Association, Aviation Section Program (2021)
- “Property Insurance, The Life of a Property Insurance Claim,” GTTC Insurance Recovery Seminar (2021)
- “Mastering the Basics of Discovery,” NBI Seminar (2021)
- “Pleadings & Motions: Civil Practice Tips & Examples,” NBI Seminar (2021)
- “Trademark Year in Review,” Washington State Bar Association, 25th Annual Intellectual Property Institute: A Forum for Innovation in the Continually Evolving Field of Intellectual Property (Apr. 2020)
- “Whose Report Is it Anyway? Ethical Considerations in Ghostwriting Expert Reports,” King County Bar Association, 46th Annual Pacific Northwest Aviation Law & Insurance Conference (Sept. 2019)
- “Goodbye ‘Sweetheart.’ The Ethics of Eliminating Discrimination and Promoting Diversity in Legal Practice,” King County Bar Association, 44th Annual Pacific Northwest Aviation Law and Insurance Conference (Sept. 2017)
- "Quick, Stop Hiring Old People! How the Eleventh Circuit Opened the Door for Discriminatory Hiring Practices Under the ADEA," 92 Wash. L. Rev. 1605 (Oct. 2017)
Professional & Community Activities
- King County Bar Association
- Aviation Law Section, Former Chair
- Washington State Bar Association
- International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA)
- Washington Women Lawyers, Member
- University of Washington School of Law
- Student Mentor
- Moot Court and Mock Trial Competitions, Judge
- Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington Clinic, Volunteer, 2015-2018
