Sims Weymuller

Sims grew up right here in Seattle and attended Roosevelt High School. After graduating with honors from Kenyon College, he worked for several years as an advocate and organizer for the State Public Interest Research Groups. He then returned home to attend the University of Washington Law School. There he served as Executive Articles Editor for the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, he was a Member of the Moot Court Honor Board, he co-founded GreenLaw, and was invited into the Order of Barristers.

For his entire career, Sims has litigated professional negligence (medical malpractice and legal malpractice), product liability, and catastrophic injury cases in both state and federal courts. His medical malpractice cases include birth trauma, delayed diagnosis, and surgical error matters. He has a particular interest in brain and spinal cord injuries, and has developed a deep understanding of the needs of those who have suffered these types of injuries and the unique challenges they face. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington (BIAWA), which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness, support, and providing hope for those affected by brain injury.

Sims co-tried his first legal malpractice matter shortly after he obtained his license and has since handled all stripes of legal malpractice matters along with legal-ethical issues and fee disputes. Sims’s product liability experience ranges from medical devices and consumer products to pharmaceutical mass torts

Sims is a former chair of WSBA Character and Fitness Board, the WSBA Lawyers Fund for Client Protection Board, and the WSBA Professionalism Committee. He also recently completed a term as a Trustee for the Washington State Bar Foundation. Sims is a writer and frequent lecturer on topics such as litigation and trial technique, medical and legal malpractice, product liability, and ethics in civil litigation. His recent work includes chapters in the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ) Product Liability Deskbook, the WSAJ Medical Malpractice Deskbook, WSAJ Motor Vehicle Litigation Deskbook, and the WSBA Washington Legal Ethics Deskbook. Sims has also returned to U.W. Law as an adjunct faculty member, teaching practical trial advocacy to law students. He is listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers magazine and has a 10 out of 10 rating on Avvo.com.

Sims lives in West Seattle with his wife and their two boys. When he is not practicing law, he can be found coaching youth baseball or stream side, casting flies to reluctant trout.

Education

• University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 2002
  
  • Executive Articles Editor for the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal
  • Member, Moot Court Honor Board
  • Member, National Order of Barristers
    
• Kenyon College, B.A., with honors, Political Science, 1996
  
• Oxford University Associate Student Programme, 1995

Admissions

• Washington State
  
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

Civic & Professional Involvements

• Adjunct faculty, University of Washington School of Law, Trial Advocacy
• Former Trustee, Washington State Bar Foundation
• Former chair, WSBA Character and Fitness Board
• Former chair of the WSBA Professionalism Committee
• Former chair, WSBA Lawyers Fund for Client Protection Board
• Eagle member, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
• “Rising Star,” Washington Law & Politics (2005, 2007–2014)
• Board member, The Center for Environmental Law and Policy (2002–2007)
• Board member, GreenLaw (2002–2007)
• Invited member, National Order of Barristers
• Selected to Washington Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers® (2015-2023)

Publications

• “Miracles Dwell in the Invisible: Ten Lessons in Traumatic Brain Injury,” WSAJ Trial News, Vol. 59, Number 7 (March 2024)
  • See publication: Miracles Lie in the Invisible: Ten Lessons in Traumatic Brain Injury
    
• Publication title Chapter: Medical Malpractice Motions Practice
  • Publication date 2016 publication description WSAJ Washington Medical Negligence Deskbook
  • See publication Chapter: Medical Malpractice Motions Practice See publication

• Publication title Know thy Client: Cultural Competency in a Diverse World
  • Publication date Mar 15, 2015 publication description NWLawyer
  • See publication Know thy Client: Cultural Competency in a Diverse World See publication

• Publication title Know Thy Client - Cultural Competency in a Diverse World
  • Publication date Mar 2015 publication description NW Lawyer
  • See publication Know Thy Client - Cultural Competency in a Diverse World See publication

• Publication title Xarelto®: From Big Sell to MDL
  • Publication date Mar 2015 publication description

• WSBA – NW Lawyer article, Sunset to Sunrise A New Dawn in Professionalism (2014)
• Product Liability – Successor Liability Book Chapter, WSAJ Product Liability Deskbook (2014)
• Fees and Our Trust Accounts, WSBA “Law of Lawyering” Conference (2013)
• Attorney-Client Relationships in Litigation, WSBA Trial Advocacy Project (2013)
• Chair and Moderator, WSBA – Ethical Dilemmas for the Practicing Lawyer (2013)
• WSBA – Best of CLE 2012 Encore of Excellence, Online moderator of WSBA live video replay CLE webinar and live speaker (Legal Ethics: Attorney-Client Relationship) (2012)
• “Fight the Good, Clean Fight – Dealing with Bullies, Avoid Bullying, and Understanding the Impact of Bullying on Diverse Populations,” Trial News, Washington State Trial Lawyers (2012)
• WSAJ – Navigating Ethics in the Third Millennium, CLE Co-Chair and Moderator (2012)
• WSBA Solo and Small Firm Conference, “Drawing the Line: Attorney-Client Relationships” (July 2012)
• “Professionalism: One Lawyer’s View,” Washington State Bar News, Vol. 65, Number 8 (August 2011)
• WSBA – NLE Preadmission Seminar: “Successful Communication Strategies for Professionals” (2011)
• Sixth Annual Statewide Diversity Conference: “Civility and Professionalism: A Practitioner’s Guide”
• “Profiles in Professionalism,” Washington State Bar News, Vol. 62, Number 8 (August 2008)
• NBI CLE lecturer: “Effective Discovery Techniques” (2008)
• “Daubert and the Differential Diagnosis: How Oily Oysters May Save Your Case,” WSTLA Trial News, Volume 43 (Number 3, 2007)
• The Professional Lawyer, 2006 Symposium Issue, American Bar Association, Center for Professional Responsibility “Irreconcilable Differences: The Duty of Undivided Loyalty Versus the Non-Client Duty of Care,” with Mark Johnson
• CLE lecturer: “Electronic Ethics and Internet Malpractice,” (2003-2004)
• “Phoenix From the Ashes: The 1999 Pacific Salmon Agreement,” Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal (May, 2001)