Gretchen Freeman Cappio
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Civil Litigation Attorney in Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA 98101
Selected To Rising Stars: 2002, 2009 - 2012
- Civil Litigation: Plaintiff (40%),
- Class Action/Mass Torts: Plaintiff (30%),
- Consumer Law (20%),
- Environmental Litigation (10%)
Gretchen is a partner in Keller Rohrback’s nationally recognized Complex Litigation Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She has 20 years of litigation experience at Keller Rohrback, and a track record of success in class action and multidistrict litigation (“MDLs”).
From skyrocketing drug prices to large consumer frauds, Gretchen’s cases frequently make the headlines. In her position on the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” leadership team, Gretchen helped obtain an initial settlement of $10.03 billion in October 2016, followed by an additional class settlement of up to $4.1 billion in May 2017. Gretchen also brought her extensive experience to the Plaintiffs’ litigation and settlement teams for the Fiat-Chrysler “EcoDiesel” litigation. Through every stage of the Volkswagen and Fiat-Chrysler cases, Gretchen worked closely with Lynn Sarko, Keller Rohrback’s Managing Partner and a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees. In the Wells Fargo Unauthorized Accounts Scandal, Gretchen and her Keller Rohrback colleagues effectively achieved a $142 million settlement, including first-of-its-kind credit injury damages. Most recently, Gretchen was appointed to the plaintiffs’ steering committees for a transmission-related case against General Motors and a defective airbag sensor case against ZF-TRW, FCA US, Kia, and Hyundai.
Gretchen knows that money can’t solve every problem; sometimes it’s an order from the court addressing the problem that provides the most valuable form of relief to her clients. She brings a creative, solution-oriented approach and an eye for detail to each case. Clients and colleagues alike rely on Gretchen to provide her honest and trustworthy opinion as they navigate a wide array of complex issues.
In addition to her cases, the legal community looks to Gretchen as a leader on complex civil litigation and settlement strategy—topics about which she frequently speaks. Some recent speaking engagements include Colorado Municipal League’s Seminar on Municipal Law (“Opioid Litigation and the Negotiation Class”) and the Law Seminars International Conference on Litigating Class Actions (“Settlement Strategies”).
About Gretchen Cappio
Admitted: 1999, Washington
Professional Webpage: http://www.krcomplexlit.com/attorney/gretchen-freeman-cappio...
Honors/Awards:
- Participate in and record meetings with judges and fellow attorneys to discuss best practices in managing Complex Litigation and Mass Claims., Class Action Roundtable Reporter, Emory School of Law Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims, 2017
Bar/Professional Activity:
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2015
- NextGen Advisory Board at the Emory Law Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims, Member, 2016
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Global Justice Center, Board MemberThe Global Justice Center works worldwide and domestically with women’s rights advocates, grassroots groups, and policymakers to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. , 2016
- The William L. Dwyer American Inn of Court, Member (to present), 2012
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Practising Law Institute 22nd Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, Presenter, Practicing Law Institute, 2017
- Presenter, National Consumer Law Center NCLC Consumer Class Action Symposium, Effectively Persuading Your Judge, November 18, 2017
- Presenter, HarrisMartin MDL Conference, Opioid, Equifax & Talcum Powder, Equifax Data Breach: What Happened? Who Was Impacted? What Are the Damages?, November 29, 2017
- Presenter, HarrisMartin, Causation and Science HarrisMartin’s Plaintiff Opioid MDL Conference, January 8, 2018
- Presenter, Law Seminars International 14th Annual Litigation Conference, Consumer Protection and the Opioid Crisis; Opioids as a case study of the interplay between government regulatory activity and consumer protection class actions, May 10, 2018
- Presenter, Law Seminars International 14th Annual Litigation Conference, Corporate Fraud Against Consumers; Lessons from Diesel Gate, Wells Fargo fake accounts, Apple battery degradation, and other cases involving purposeful misconduct, May 10, 2018
- Presenter, Law Seminars International 14th Annual Litigation Conference, Settlement Strategies for Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation; Best practices for designing a settlement that the courts will approve; when not in court, adapting stragies for madimum success in ADR; tips for more effectively administering settlements once approved, May 11, 2018
- Presenter, ABA Section of Litigation, Discovery and Ethical "Rules of the Road" for Working with Expert Witnesses, July 19, 2019
- Practising Law Institute 22nd Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, Presenter, 2016
- Panelist, Settlement Strategies for Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation Law Seminars International 13th Annual Conference on Litigating, April 28, 2017
- HarrisMarting Pharmaceutical and Environmental Mass Tort Litigation Class Action and Data Breach Litigation, March 30, Panelist, HarrisMartin, 2016
- Data Security & Privacy Issues Practising Law Institute Consumer Financial Services Institute , Presenter, Practicing Law Institute, 2016
- VW Diesel Emissions Litigation: A Case Study of the Interplay Between Government Regulatory Activity and Consumer Fraud Class Actions Law Seminars International, May 6 , Panelist, Law Seminars International, 2016
- Current State of the Law on Ascertainability and Standing Bridgeport Consumer Class Action Litigation Conference, January , Panelist, 2016
- Dissecting the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins American Association for Justice webinar, May 26 , Panelist, American Association for Justice, 2016
- Settlements in Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation HarrisMartin MDL Conference, July 27, Panelist, HarrisMartin MDL Conference, 2016
- The Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims EmoryLaw NextGen Conference and EmoryLaw Federal Juducial Center and JPML Program, December 14 - 16, Panelist, Emory Law, 2016
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Gretchen was a key member of the Wells Fargo Unauthorized Account class action litigation and settlement team that achieved an $142 million settlement on behalf of class members who had accounts opened by Wells Fargo. The settlement has achieved preliminary approval in the Northern District of California, 2017
- Gretchen served on behalf of the class on the Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche "Clean" Diesel Class Action settlement team that secured a record-breaking approximately $16 billion settlement on behalf of owners and lessees of affected vehicles, 2016
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims at Emory University School of LawEmerging Leaders Board of Advisors, Inaugural MemberClass Action Roundtable, Reporter, 2017
Educational Background:
- Dartmouth College – B.A., magna cum laude, 1995Religion, Environmental Studies Certificate, Phi Beta KappaForeign Studies – 1992 Germany; 1994 Kenya, 1995
Additional Sources of Information About Gretchen Freeman Cappio
Gretchen Freeman Cappio:
Last Updated: 11/10/2020