Government Affairs & Legislative Relations | Insurance Regulations
Mel Sorensen joined the firm in July 2000 with more than thirty years of experience representing insurers, health care interests and other regulated industries before the Washington State legislature and various state agencies. Mr. Sorensen’s government relations practice emphasizes legislative and regulatory representation, including matters before the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
After graduating from the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1983, Mr. Sorensen served as a staff counsel with the Washington State Senate where he provided non-partisan legal advice to members of the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee. After leaving the Senate, he served as Counsel for Government Affairs with Washington Physicians Service until 1989. He has also spent ten years operating his own law practice with an emphasis on government relations and the representation of regulated industries.
Honors and Recognitions
- Washington Super Lawyers, 2011 – 2013
- Professional Insurance Agents Washington/Alaska, 2010 Presidential Citation
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, 2007 President’s Award
- Northwest Propane Gas Association, 2005 President’s Award
Education
- JD, Seattle University School of Law (formerly University of Puget Sound School of Law), 1983
- BA, English, cum laude, Walla Walla University, 1980
Bar and Court Admissions
- State of Washington
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Seminars and Speaking Engagements
- “ProBuilders, Court’s Expansion of the Application of the ‘Efficient Proximate Cause Doctrine’,” PCI Association of America’s 29th Annual Western Region General Counsel Seminar, August 2018, San Diego, CA
- “Washington State Insurance Industry Briefing,” presented by Mel Sorensen and Cliff Webster, June 15, 2009, Minneapolis, MN
- “Professional Insurance Agents, Legislative Update,” 2009 Annual Convention, June 14, 2009, Cle Elum, WA
- Spokane Association of Health Underwriters, Legislative Update, May 18, 2009, Spokane, WA
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Legislative Update, 2009 Annual Convention, May 6, 2009, Spokane, WA
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Legislative Update, Financial Services Forum, October 27, 2008, Everett, WA
- Legal Issues in Insurer-Producer Relationships, National Insurance Industry Convention & Expo, The Mirage Hotel, August 6, 2008, Las Vegas, NV
- Professional Insurance Agents Association, Washington 2008 Annual Convention, Panelist-Insurance Fair Conduct Act, Legislative Update, June 20-22, 2008, Cle Elum, WA
- Washington State Insurance Industry Briefing, presented by Mel Sorensen and Cliff Webster, June, 2008, San Francisco, CA
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Legislative Update, Washington 2008 Annual Convention, May 23, 2008, La Conner, WA
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, Annual Insurance Law Update, 2008, Legislative Update, April 4, 2008, Seattle, WA
- Washington Association of Health Underwriters, 2008 Spring Symposium, Legislative Update, March 26, 2008, Seattle, WA
- Mealey’s Pacific Northwest Construction Defect Conference, Panelist-Legislative Round-up on Construction Defects, June 22, 2006, Seattle, WA