Natalie's civil litigation practice focuses on the defense of licensed professionals and organizations including physicians, oral surgeons, chiropractors, pharmacists, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Natalie became a credentialed Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional in January 2022.
Natalie has tried twelve cases to verdict in the past nine years.
Natalie previously practiced medical malpractice defense in Boston, Massachusetts before relocating to Seattle in 2015.
practice areas
- Medical Malpractice Liability Defense
- Licensing and Disciplinary Defense
representative cases
- Defense verdict for chiropractor in allegedly negligent application of cold laser therapy for chronic pain
- Defense verdict for cardiologist alleged to have negligently performed cardioversion in a patient with myocarditis and PACU nurse alleged to have prematurely discharged patient postoperatively
- Defense verdict on behalf of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in lingual nerve injury case alleged to have been caused by negligent extraction of third molars
- Defense verdict on behalf of a chiropractor alleged to have fractured plaintiff's hip and torn his labrum during an independent medical examination
- Defense verdict for interventional cardiologgist in allegedly negligent placement of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and ER physician who failed to timely diagnose cardiac tamponade
- Defense verdict for oral and maxillofacial surgeon who placed maxillary implants allegedly causing puncture of sinus cavity
- Defense verdict for labor and delivery nurses alleged to have failed to appreciate signs of hypoxia
- Summary judgement dismissal of apparent agency theory of liability against ambulatory surgery center for alleged negligence of neurosurgeon operating off site
- Summary judgement dismissal of Consumer Protection Act claims asserted against numerous health care providers and/or facilities
education
- J.D., Suffolk University Law School, 2007
- B.A., University of Arizona, Philosophy, 1999
professional experience
- Larson Health Advocates, Partner, July 2024 - Present
- Forsberg & Umlauf, 2015 - 2024, Shareholder 2019 - 2024
- Foster & Eldridge, 2012 - 2015 (Boston, MA)
- Morrison Mahoney, 2009 - 2012 (Boston, MA)
professional memberships
- Washington State Bar Association
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers - Board of Trustees (2023 - Present)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI) - Nursing Home Subcommittee
- Washington Health Care Risk Management Society
- KCBA Judicial Survey Committee
awards
- "Super Lawyer" 2023 - 2024 by Super Lawyers magazine
- "Rising Star" 2017 (Washington) and 2014 - 2015 (Massachusetts) by Super Lawyers magazine
- Suffolk University Law School Mock Trial Competition - 1st Place 2007
presentations
- "Strategies for Evaluating and Defending Traumatic Brain Injury Cases", The Gavel Claims Network Grub Club, 2023
- "Navigating the Medicare Secondary Payer Act" CLE, 2022 - 2023
- Presenter: "Updates in Wa Medical Malpractice law", Washington State Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2022
- "Nursing Home Litigation Defense in Washington State: Current Case Law and Defense Strategies" CLE, 2019
- "Wrongful Death Law in Washington State after 2019 Enactment of Senate Bill 5163" CLE, 2019
- "E-Discovery 101: An Overview of Washington Case Law" CLE, 2018
- "Challenging Harris v. Drake: Key Cases and Strategies for the Defense" CLE
- "Causation: Recent Developments and Considerations for Challenging Plaintiff's Expets" CLE, 2016 2017
- "Negligent Credentialing in Massachusetts: Implications of Rabelo v. Nasif," Massachusetts Medical Society Journal, 2014