Andrew Bergh, Attorney at Law

Andrew (“Andy”) Bergh has been a lawyer for over four decades.  Raised in Southern California, Andy attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he quickly became a diehard Bruin fan.  (He also roots for both the Huskies and the Cougars, which non-natives in Washington are allowed to do.)  He later received his law degree from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles.   After passing the California bar exam, Andy began working in early 1978 for the Orange County District Attorney.  A prosecutor for five and a half years, he investigated and filed new criminal cases, represented the State at countless hearings, negotiated with defense attorneys, and took those cases to trial that could not be resolved.  During this span of time, Andy had more jury trials than most attorneys have in their lifetime.  Since it was essentially his office, Andy has always felt very at ease in the courtroom.

Andy later decided to leave government work for the challenges of private practice.  After a short stint in the Newport Beach office of a large San Francisco-based law firm, in early 1984 he accepted a position with a civil litigation firm (then known as Tuverson & Hillyard) that represented insurance companies and their insureds.  For the next four and a half years, Andy defended numerous lawsuits involving tort claims for, among other things, wrongful death, products liability, and premises liability.  When he first joined this firm, Andy was the fourth lawyer in its Orange County office and the ninth overall.  Through hard work and superior results, he became a partner in only three years and contributed to the firm’s substantial and rapid growth.  When Andy resigned in August 1988, he was the number two partner in the 17-attorney Orange County office, and overall the number five partner in a 45-attorney firm with offices in four counties.

While vacationing in the Puget Sound area, Andy discovered where he should have been born.  After passing the Washington state bar exam in 1988, he left his thriving practice amid the hazy (but boring) sunshine of Southern California to relocate with his family to Bainbridge Island.

Andy continued his insurance defense practice for just over four years, commuting by ferry to his office in downtown Seattle.  Depending on one’s perspective, he either left or went to “The Dark Side” in January 1993 when he joined a small, established plaintiff’s personal injury firm (formerly Pence & Dawson).  For almost twelve years Andy significantly contributed to the law firm’s superb reputation for competence, integrity and professionalism.  When the enterprise dissolved in 2004, he opened his own law office and continued his representation of clients with substantial injury and damage claims as a solo practitioner.  After commuting to Seattle for 25+ years, Andy relocated his successful practice to Bainbridge Island in 2015.

Andy has received his fair share of recognition and accolades from his peers.  For example, Martindale-Hubbell, the worldwide information resource for the legal profession, has given Andy its highest rating (AV) for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards for decades.  For 10 consecutive years (2012-2021), Washington Super Lawyers – which recognizes only five percent of attorneys for their high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement – selected Andy as one of the top plaintiff personal injury lawyers in the state.

Andy has other passions besides law, including writing.  For approximately 20 years, he wrote an entertaining and informative legal column for the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.  Andy was also a long-time regular contributor for the Washington State Association for Justice, authoring his popular monthly “Appellate Spotlight” column in their acclaimed Trial News publication.  All told, he has roughly 500 published articles to his credit.

While maintaining his active license, in recent years Andy has pursued yet another passion: digital photography.  In fact, until recently, Andy and his wife Carol (a former WSAJ president) featured his stunning and evocative images in their own photography gallery in Winslow near the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal.  Thanks to their road trips to all four corners of Washington, Andy’s portfolio includes remarkable captures of the historic “hidden gem” courthouses situated throughout the state, including those featured on this page.

For Andy’s contact information, please click here.