At 60, Bill Marler '87 marks dual anniversaries: 25 years since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak that killed four and sickened 700, and 20 years since founding Marler Clark with fellow Seattle U Law alum Bruce Clark '84. The firm, which grew directly from both attorneys' experience with the 1993 outbreak, became the nation's first to focus solely on foodborne illness victims. Marler's career began when a former worker's comp client referred a Tacoma family whose child had E. coli. "I went from obscurity to being sort of the legal face of the outbreak. I went from having one client to five clients to 10 clients to hundreds." He secured $15.6 million for Brianne Kiner, then 9, who spent weeks in a coma and still struggles with infertility, asthma, and diabetes. When the 1996 Odwalla outbreak followed, families called Marler: "It really was at that point that I thought, 'Hmm, clearly people think I know what I'm doing.'"
Author Jeff Benedict wrote that "no individual has had more influence on the shape and direction of food safety policy in the U.S." than Marler, who has secured over $600 million for victims. Contemplating retirement, he reflects: "I really love my job. I get to make a huge difference in people's lives...families facing millions in medical expenses. That's a reason to get up every day."
From The New York Times to CNN, Bill is trusted by lawyers for his expertise on food safety.
