Keith M. Hayasaka

Keith M. Hayasaka is a Partner in the Seattle office of GRSM and a member of the firm’s Product & General Liability and Insurance practice groups. His broad experience includes premises liability, personal injury defense (including wrongful death and catastrophic injury claims), transportation (trucking, railroad and motor vehicle litigation), property damage, commercial disputes, and products liability. He has successfully represented clients in all aspects of litigation, from pre-suit claims counseling to obtaining favorable results through mediation, arbitration, trial and appeal. 

Prior to joining GRSM, he was partner in the Seattle office of an Am Law 100 firm. Previously, he practiced in Georgia for nearly a decade. His clients have ranged from individual insureds to Fortune 500 companies in matters pending in both state and federal court. 

Keith received his BA from Vanderbilt University and JD from Georgia State University College of Law.

Admissions

• Washington
• Oregon
• Georgia
• US District Court, Eastern & Western Districts of Washington
• US District Court, Middle & Northern Districts of Georgia
• US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Memberships

• Oregon State Bar
• Washington State Bar
• State Bar of Georgia
• American Bar Association (2008–2018)
• Defense Research Institute (2013–2017)
• National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (2012–2016)
• Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (2009–2017)
   

Representative Experience

• A plaintiff asserted numerous claims against a Washington hotel in King County Superior Court, including conversion and breach of contract. The claims were recently dismissed on summary judgment.   
• Plaintiffs filed claims under Oregon’s Landlord and Tenant Act, seeking damages for alleged breach of warranty of habitability and personal injury. Dismissal was secured in favor of the client landlord.
• Plaintiff filed suit against defendant, alleging that as a result of a boat moving company’s negligence, the boat sustained damages in the six-figure range. An appellate victory was secured when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant.

Published Opinions

• Maxwell v. CSX Transp., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188439 (N.D. Ga. July 1, 2015)
• Santino Smith v. Norfolk Southern Ry. Co., 337 Ga. App. 604, 788 S.E.2d 508 (2016)
• Watson v. Moger, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150259 (W.D. Wash. Aug. 10, 2021), aff’d 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 30138 (9th Cir. 2022)
   

Education

J.D. Georgia State University College of Law

B.A. Vanderbilt University, cum laude

Honors

Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch distinction in Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (2022-2024)

State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy (2012)

National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (NARTC) College of Trial Advocacy (2014)