Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Employment & Labor Law
Health Care Law
Insurance Defense
Property Tax
Education
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, with high honors, 1983
B.A., New College of the University of South Florida, 1976
Admissions/Memberships
American Bar Association - Employment Law Section
American Employment Law Council
American Health Lawyers’ Association
Idaho Association of Defense Counsel
Idaho State Bar Employment Law Section
Idaho Supreme Court
International Association of Defense Counsel
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Professional Profile
Ms. Olsson's practice emphasizes employment and medical malpractice defense, significant trial work, health care and general litigation. Ms. Olsson has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2001, and is rated AV by Martindale Hubbell. Ms. Olsson was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in October 2003, and served as Idaho State Chair for three years, ending in 2010. She continues to be active in the ACTL’s committees and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Since 1983, she has tried numerous cases before state and federal trial courts and has conducted an active appellate practice in the federal and state courts of appeals. In 2005, Ms. Olsson completed her second, six-year term on the Idaho Supreme Court Rules of Civil Procedure Committee.
Ms. Olsson’s medical malpractice experience includes numerous summary judgment decisions for physicians, including acting as lead counsel in the significant Dulaney v. St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center decision, 137 Idaho 160, 45 P.3d 813 (2002), which affirmed the local standard of care rule in Idaho. She has obtained summary judgments for physicians in numerous medical malpractice cases, as well as successfully tried medical malpractice cases to defense verdict. She frequently advises physicians and hospitals on legal issues and health care issues, and has conducted extensive risk management training of doctors and hospitals through her years of practice.
Recent cases include:
· Numerous defense verdicts in medical malpractice cases, including Harrison v. Binnion, 147 Idaho 645 (2009).
· Successfully defending a multi-week medical malpractice case.
· Successfully resolving a multi-million dollar appeal of property taxes.
· Acting as lead counsel role in Dulaney v. St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, 45 P.3d 816, 137 Idaho 160 (2002), a key Idaho case reaffirming the local standard of care rule in Idaho.
· Obtaining a defense verdict following a five-week trial on behalf of a general surgeon alleged to have negligently failed to diagnose a cervical fracture.
· Successfully defending an obstetrician in a two-week trial involving allegations of failure to diagnose uterine polyps and improper prescription of hormones.
· Successfully defending a physician in a two-week trial against claims that the negligent administration of an allergy shot program and anaphylaxis caused brain damage.
In the health care law arena, she frequently advises hospitals and physicians on issues relating to the False Claims Act, Stark I and II, the Anti-Kickback Law, EMTALA, medical staff bylaw, privileging and credentialing issues, and the numerous other questions raised by federal and state laws, as well as JACHO rules, that affect relationships between doctors and hospitals. She has successfully investigated and resolved qui tam cases. Ms. Olsson has expertise in laws and international treaties governing clinical research on human subjects, and has completed the CITI Program for the Protection of Human Research Subjects course. She regularly reviews Clinical Trial Agreements, informed consent documents, and other matters pertaining to the multitude of clinical studies underway in southern Idaho.
In the employment law area, Ms. Olsson’s practice emphasizes employment-related litigation and preventive counseling on employment issues. She represents clients in matters raising diverse issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Family and Medical Leave Act and state equal opportunity acts. Her recent trial victories include:
· Defense verdict for a prominent Idaho employer after an eight day federal court trial over FMLA issues.
· Summary judgment for a large Idaho employer in a Title VII retaliation case brought by the EEOC.
· Defense jury verdict for an employer after a nine day trial alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
· Defense verdict for an employer after a nine day trial alleging multiple violations of Title VII gender discrimination, harassment and discrimination.
· Several summary judgment decisions for an employer in lawsuits alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
· Several significant summary judgments, affirmed by the Idaho Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, involving whistle blowing, sexual harassment, and age discrimination claims.
· Defense verdicts in personal injury actions involving substantial damages.
· Defense verdicts in complex commercial litigation cases.
· Numerous successful resolutions of matters involving significant exposures through mediation.
Ms. Olsson’s community activities include 14 years of service on the Board of Directors of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA. She was President of the Board from 2004-2006, and served another two years as immediate past President of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA. Ms. Olsson received the YMCA’s 2008 Vern Emery Award, the most significant award bestowed upon a volunteer by the Treasure Valley YMCA.
Ms. Olsson is Chair of the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Board, as well as a member of the Children’s Advisory Board of St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. She is a director of the Sagebrush Habitat Conservation Fund. She serves on the Board of St. Luke's Humphreys' Diabetes Center, and is a member of the Boise State University Foundation. She is the immediate past Chair of the Friends of Nursing Board at Boise State. Ms. Olsson was a founding member of CARES, the child abuse evaluation service at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. Ms. Olsson is an original member of the Concordia Law School Advisory Board, which intends to open a law school in Boise in 2012. She is also a member of the Idaho City Historical Society.
Some of Ms. Olsson’s significant cases include:
· Harrison v. Binnion, 147 Idaho 645 (2009).
· LaFay v. Micron Tech., Case No. CV-05-287-S-BLW (United States District Court, District of Idaho, 2007).
· Rudd v. Merritt, 138 Idaho 526, 66 P.3d 230 (Idaho 2003).
· Dulaney v. St. Alphonsus, 137 Idaho 160, 45 P.3d 816 (Idaho 2002).
· EEOC v. Micron Tech. Inc., 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 5316 (9th Cir. 2002).
· Strongman v. Idaho Potato Comm’n, 129 Idaho 766, 932 P.2d 889 (Idaho 1997).
· K. Hefner, Inc. v. Caremark, Inc., 128 Idaho 726, 918 P.2d 595 (Idaho 1996).
· Meckert v. Transamerica Ins. Co., 108 Idaho 597, 701 P.2d 217 (Idaho 1985).
· Santana v. Zilog, Inc., 878 F. Supp.1373 (D. Idaho 1984).
· Meckert v. Transamerica Ins. Co., 742 F.2d 505 (9th Cir. 1984).
Client references include: Dr. David Pate, J.D., CEO, St. Luke’s Health System (208) 381-4200; Mr. Gary Fletcher, CEO of St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Chtd. (208) 381-1270; Joel Poppen, Deputy General Counsel, Micron Technology, Inc. (208) 368-4513; Paul Powell, Executive Vice President, Petroglyph Energy Company (208) 685-7685; Kent Watson, V.P. and General Manager of Thompson Creek Mines (208) 838-2721; Beth Gray, MSN NP NE-BC, VP of Patient Care and Nursing, McCall Memorial Hospital, 208-634-4061 x14; Noreen Davis, C.N.O. of St. Luke’s Health Systems (208) 381-1835; and Jim Everett, CEO, Treasure Valley YMCA (208) 344-5502 x 237. Additional references are available upon request.