Pamela A. Palmer

Pamela A. Palmer is a Partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office in the Litigation Department. Ms. Palmer is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney with a practice focused on complex commercial litigation, including insurance coverage and transportation law. She has extensive experience advising and representing insurers on a full spectrum of first- and third-party claims, including environmental, marine, inland marine, general liability, transportation, aviation, and sex abuse claims, as well as suspicious losses involving arson, theft, and vessel sinkings. 

 Ms. Palmer is known for her command of highly technical legal issues, business-savvy risk analysis, and strategic litigation management. She has handled high-stakes environmental coverage matters involving sites around the globe with billions of dollars in alleged response costs, and she regularly defends insurers in coverage litigation tied to religious institutions, entertainment entities, and product manufacturers. 

In her transportation practice, Ms. Palmer advises and represents clients in matters involving accidents, environmental harm, and intricate logistics disputes related to the global movement of goods. A key aspect of her approach is developing a thorough understanding of each client’s operations, which enables her to resolve conflicts early whenever possible and minimize drawn-out litigation. She also counsels clients on proactive risk management strategies designed to prevent future claims. Her experience spans high-stakes casualty cases with cross-border and multi-jurisdictional elements, appeals arising from catastrophic incidents, and marine insurance disputes involving substantial financial exposure. 

Ms. Palmer’s appellate practice has featured writs and appeals before state appellate courts in California, New York, and Washington, in addition to the federal Second, Third, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal. Her appellate work covers a wide range of legal issues, including insurance coverage, wrongful death, personal injury, maritime accidents, construction conflicts, and environmental damage claims. 

Prior to Musick Peeler, Ms. Palmer was a Partner at Clark Hill LLP, where she represented clients including insurers, vessel owners, logistics providers, trucking companies, and brokers throughout all phases of litigation.

Ms. Palmer holds the distinction of Proctor in Admiralty with the Maritime Law Association of the United States and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She currently serves on the ABA TIPS Council and has previously led the ABA’s TIPS Admiralty & Maritime Law Committee as Chair. She also served as Editor-in-Chief of the California, New York, Oregon, Washington. A recognized thought leader in transportation and insurance law, Ms. Palmer regularly writes and speaks on these topics. Her recent engagements include presenting to the American Bar Association on effective emergency response strategies for maritime, aviation, and trucking incidents, as well as discussing how social inflation and the current political environment are driving substantial verdicts in litigation. 

Ms. Palmer received her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Gonzaga University School of Law. In addition to her academic success, she served as Associate Editor of the Gonzaga Law Review, competed on the National Moot Court team, won the prestigious Linden Cup Moot Court competition, and was awarded the CALI Excellence Award for her achievements in legal research and writing.

Admissions & Associations

California, New York, Oregon, Washington

U.S. Supreme Court

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. District Courts in California, Oregon, Washington and New York

American Bar Association

Proctor in Admiralty, Maritime Law Association of the United States

Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association