Mr. Fryer is senior trial counsel for the firm. His primary practice areas are Admiralty Law, Civil Litigation and Antitrust Law. He has personally tried over a 100 cases, with his immense trial experience including cases in collision, death, personal injury, general average, cargo damage, demurrage, grounding, charter parties, forfeiture, and marine insurance.

He has defended pilots and ship officers on license matters in Alaska and Washington, and before United States Coast Guard license proceedings. Doug was lead defense counsel in two class action cases involving the salmon industry: In re Bristol Bay Antitrust Litigation (defense verdict), and Atonio v. Wards Cove Packing Co. (employment discrimination).

His work has included representation of the federal government of Canada in the Nestucca oil spill litigation. He has had at least 50 reported cases, including his success before the United States Supreme Court in the Atonio case. Doug has acted as Special Disciplinary Counsel to the Washington State Bar Association (1968-1972, 2001-2004). He has also been instrumental in furthering Alternate Dispute Resolution, having been retained by litigants for the better part of twenty years to act as a mediator and/or as an arbitrator. 

Education and Background Information:

Mr. Fryer received his undergraduate and law degrees from University of Washington, where he was Order of the Coif and a member of Phi Delta Phi.  He was previously a trial attorney with the Admiralty and Shipping Section, Department of Justice, l959-l964. He then served as Special Assistant to United States Attorney, Western District of Washington, l96l-l964.   He is a member of the Seattle-King County, Washington State and Federal Bar Associations, and the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
 
Doug has been a lecturer for the University of Washington, the Seattle King County Bar Association, the Washington State Bar Association and the Pacific Northwest Admiralty Institute.
 
Doug is also a world-class sailor. He has raced to Hawaii from the west coast a dozen times (11 as navigator, 10 as skipper) and to Tahiti once (as navigator), and he sailed the single handed race from San Francisco to Kuaui. He has cruised Alaska and the South Pacific and was awarded the Cruising Club of America Blue Water Medal for a voyage around South America by way of Cape Horn and the Panama Canal. He was a co-inventor of The Lifesling man overboard recovery device that is now the world standard for overboard recovery from sailing craft.

Reported Cases:

1. Willie Young v. United States, 297 F.2d 593 (9th Cir 1962)
2. THE NORTH STAR, 1962 A.M.C. 930, 206 F. Supp. 767 (W.D. Wash. 1962)
3. Berard v. United States, 309 F.2d 260 (9th Cir. 1962)
4. Clinton v. United States, 1961 A.M.C. 2595, 297 F.2d 899 (9th Cir. 1961)
5. American Mail Line v. United States, 1963 A.M.C. 1612, 213 F. Supp. 153  (W.D. Wash. 1962)
6. Dawson v. United States, 1962 A.M.C. 2203 ( Ore. 1962)
7. Atkins v. United States, 307 F.2d 937 (9th Cir. 1962)
8. Alaska Airlines v. Oleary, 216 F. Supp. 540 (W.D. Wash. 1963), vacated 336 F.2d 668 (9th Cir.)
9. Rose v. United States, 313 F.2d 666 (9th Cir. 1963)
10. THE INVINCIBLE, 1963 A.M.C. 1469, 216 F. Supp.775 (D. Ore. 1963)
11. Peterson v. United States, 217 F. Supp.867 (AK. 1963)
12. THE INVINCIBLE, 1964 A.M.C. 2314, 229 F. Supp. 241 ( Ore. 1963)
13. United States v. Sigfridson, 1964 A.M.C. 2314 ( Ore. 1963)
14. Soriano v. United States, 1967 A.M.C. 41, 366 F.2d 699 (9th Cir. 1966) [trial counsel only]
15. Seattle Stevedore Co. v. Compania Maritime, 373 F.2d 9 (9th Cir. 1967)
16. Thomsen v. King County, 70 Wn.2d 92 (1967)
17. In re Stromberg, 75 Wn.2d 955 (1969)
18. In re Opendack, 78 Wn.2d 113 (1970) 
19.  Buckerfield's Ltd. v. B.C. Goose and Duck Farm, 9 Wn. App. 220 (1973)
20. Hjelle v. Brooks, 377 F. Supp. 430 (Ak. 1974)
21. Atlas Assurance Ltd. v. Harper Robinson Shipping Co., 508 F2d 1281 (9th Cir. 1975)
22. Jensen v. National Marine Fisheries Service, 512 F.2d 1189 (9th Cir. 1975)
23. Rydman v. Martinolich, 13 Wn. App. 150 (1975)
24. State v. Bundrant, 546 P.2d 533 (Ak. 1976)
25. Puget Sound Gilnetters v. Moos, 88 Wn.2d 677 (1977)
26. Northwest Trollers v. Moos, 89 Wn.2d 1 (1977) 
27.  Marr v. Lewis Refrigeration, 556 F.2d 957 (1977)
28. Puget Sound Gilnetters v. Boldt, 573 F.2d 1123 (9th Cir. 1978)
29. Lake Union Dry Dock v. THE POLAR VIKING, 1978 A.M.C. 1477, 446 F. Supp. 1286 (W.D. Wash. 1978)
30. Jones v. Bender, 581 F.2d 1331 (9th Cir. 1979)
31. Petition of New England Fish Co., 1979 A.M.C. 1910, 465 F. Supp. 1003 (W.D. Wash. 1979) 
32.  F/V AMEICAN EAGLE v. State, 629 P.2d 657 (Ak. 1980)
33. Sjong v. State, 622 P.2d 97 (1981)
34. Bristol Bay Alaska Salmon Fishery Litigation, #64, 577 Trade Regulation Reports (April 1982); 530 F. Supp. 36 (W.D. Wash. 1981)
35. Vic Franck's Boat Co., Inc. v. Yacht SUNCHASER III, 508 F.2d 609 (W.D. Wash. 1981)
36. Shaun Fisheries, Limited Proceedings, 1984 A.M.C. 2650 (D. Ore. 1983)
37. Atonio v.Wards Cove Packing Co., 34 E.P.D. 34, 437 (W.D. Wash. 1983), 703 F.2d 329 (9th Cir. 1982); 768 F.2d 1120 (9th Cir. 1985); 787 F.2d 462 (1985); 810 F.2d 1477 (9th Cir. 1987), 827 F.2d 439 (1987); certiorari denied 485 U.S. 989 (1988); rehearing denied 487 U.S. 124 (1988); certiorari granted in part, 487 U.S. 1232 (1988); reversed 490 U.S. 642 (1989), 10 F.3d 1485 (1993), certiorari denied 513 U.S. 809(1994); affirmed 275 F.3d 797 (9th Cir, 2001)
38. Bindon v. Jones, 1986 A.M.C. 1403 (Arb. Seattle 1984)
39. Hansen v. Rothaus, 107 Wn.2d 468 (1986) 
40.  Ralston v. August Fishing, Inc. 1986 A.M.C. 2868 (K.C.S.C. 1986) 
41.  Insurance Company of North America v. Ennia General Insurance Co., 1988 A.M.C. 400 (Arb. 1987) 
42.  Nelsen v. RCUH, 725 F. Supp. 350 (D. Hawaii 1990), 805 F. Supp. 837 (D. Hawaii 1992)
43. Goldade v. F/V SEATTLE STAR, 1992 A.M.C. 808 (Arb. 1991)
44. In re Sause Bros. Ocean Towing, 1992 A.M.C. 1858, 769 F. Supp. 1147 (D. Ore. 1992)
45. Morey v. All Alaskan Seafoods, 1992 A.M.C. 1590 (W.D. Wash.)
46. Osal Marine Services v. MN PANASEA, 1993 A.M.C. 1930 (W.D. Wash.)
47. Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. v. Alaskan Pride Partnership, 106 F.3d 1465 (9th Cir. 1997); 1994 A.M.C. 2369 (W.D. Wash. 1994); 1997 A.M.C. 1217 
48. Alakayak v. All Alaska Seafoods, 1999 W.L. 1027062, 1999-2 Trade Cases P 72,596 (Superior Court, AK 1999), reversed, 48 P.3rd 432 (Alaska 2002).
    
49. Kimta v. Royal Insurance Co., 102 Wn.App. 716 (2000) 
50. Ildhuso Fisheries, Inc. v. Nichols Bros. Boat Builders, Inc., 2001 W.L. 30060 (9th Cir. 2001).
51. In re Discipline of Dynan, 152 Wn.2d 601 (2004)
52. Offshore-Inland Services of Alabama v RV Deep Ocean Quest, 2007 U.S. Dist. Lexis 73534, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45710, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51303 (W.D.Wash).