Admitted to Practice
- Oregon State Courts, 1981
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1982
Education
- Willamette University College of Law
J.D., 1981 - University of Oregon
B.A., English & Psychology (Phi Beta Kappa), 1978
Trial Experience
- 105 Trials
State and Federal Court – Oregon - Trials in 23 of Oregon’s 36 Counties
- Multiple Private Arbitrations and AAA Arbitrations for Design Professionals
Professional Associations
- International Association of Defense Counsel
Advocacy, Construction and Professional Errors and Omissions Committees, 1995-present - Defense Research Institute, 1995-present
- Oregon State Bar
Litigation Section, 1981-present - Multnomah County Bar Association, 1982-present
Judicial Screening Committee, 1997-1999 - Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, 1985-present
- Maritime Law Association, 1983-2000
Professional Honors
- Super Lawyer
Oregon Professional Malpractice Defense 2006; 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011 - The Best Lawyers in America
Professional Malpractice Defense 2007; 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012 - 2012 Best Lawyers; Lawyer of the Year
Professional Malpractice Defense - Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Justitia Honorary, 2009 - Portland Monthly: Best Lawyers 2008
Significant Cases
- Transamerican Ins. Co. v. Sunnes:
First Oregon appellate case to uphold pollution exclusion - Van Osdol v. Knappton:
Mileage payment makes employee responsible for employee’s commuting accident - Hawkins v. City of LaGrande:
Leading case on inverse condemnation from flooding - Floyd v. City of Sherwood:
Police chief’s field actions are city policy for purpose of 42 USC § 1983 - Abbott v. West Extension Irrigation District:
Babysitter’s acts admissible on causation without third-party claim in child drowning defense - Nationwide Ins. Co. v. Church Mutual Ins. Co.:
Oregon’s Lamb-Weston Doctrine on “other insurance” clauses applied - Estey v. MacKenzie Engineering, Inc.:
Leading Oregon case on limitation of liability clauses in design professional contracts - Hilltop v. Uptown Heights:
First Oregon trial involving liability for condominium conversion (on appeal)
Teaching
- Dentist Benefits Insurance Company:
Risk Management Instructor, 1994-2002 - February 25, 2009
Multnomah Bar Association
Trial of a Construction Defect Case - March 20, 2009
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers / Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Annual Construction Law Update: Effective and Efficient Arbitration - 2011-2012
Oregon Medical Association Instructor
Risk Management - Frequent speaker on tort, insurance and professional malpractice issues for clients and organizations.
Publications
- Oregon Damages CLE
Tortious Injury to Property in Admiralty Co-Author, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2002 - IADC Newsletters:
February, 1997 Limitation of Liability for Design Professional;
March 1998, Economic Loss Doctrine;
June 1998, Malpractice Deposition Tips;
November 1999, Wrongful Death Discovery Refresher;
December 2003 Oregon Voids Additional Insured Agreements in Construction Contracts