Gavin W. Skok
Principal
Gavin is a member of the Riddell Williams Litigation practice group. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on class action defense, complex litigation, and securities fraud claims.
Gavin has defended regional and national companies in state and national consumer, commercial, and securities fraud class action cases. Representative work includes defense of a mobile telecommunication carrier in multiple consumer class actions challenging billing practices; defense of an insurance carrier against several class actions challenging claims handling practices; defense of companies in the technology and beverage industries against class actions alleging breach of data privacy obligations; and defense of an underwriter, a rating agency, and an indenture trustee against securities fraud claims asserted by a national class in several class action cases.
Gavin also represents local, regional and national companies in various commercial and complex litigation matters in state and federal courts, including securities fraud lawsuits and arbitrations; trade secrets, customer theft, and business interference claims; breach of contract actions; and earnout and royalty litigation. Gavin regularly volunteers pro bono time with a local public defender agency, for which he has taken several cases to jury trial. He has also provided pro bono public service to the ACLU, Oxford House, an animal rescue center, a local winner of a major network home remodeling show, and other local organizations and individuals.
Prior to joining Riddell Williams, Gavin was a federal judicial law clerk to United States District Court Judge Robert H. Whaley (E.D.Wash.).
Education and Admissions
Gavin received his B.A., with honors, from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, in 1996, and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Washington School of Law in 1999, where he was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board. He is admitted to practice in Washington State, the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Memberships
King County Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association
Publications and Speaking Engagements
“Establishing a Legitimate Expectation of Privacy in Clickstream Data,” 6 Mich. Telecomm. Tech. L. Rev. 61 (2000)
“Protecting the Right of Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States to Raise Fourth Amendment Defenses in Criminal Prosecutions,” 3 Bender's Immigration Bulletin 604 (1998)
CLE presenter, “Consumer Class Action Litigation: Leveraging New Developments in Class Certification, Causation and Reliance” (Strafford national webinar April 2010)
CLE presenter, “Attorney-Client Privilege and Ethical Issues for In-house Counsel” (November 2009)
Panelist on securities fraud issues at NAIFPA 2008 Annual Conference “Project Dynamics – Investigation; Private Parties; Experts – Holmes Harbor Sewer District” (October 2008)
