News
February 28, 2024

Hart Wagner Add Two Associates to Litigation Team

We’re pleased to announce that Zach Allen and Michael O’Neil have joined our distinguished litigation team.  Zach’s practice focuses on complex employment matters, professional liability defense, and appeals in Oregon state and federal courts.  Prior to joining Hart Wagner, Zach practiced at a Portland plaintiff’s civil litigation firm.  Before joining private practice, Zach was a law clerk at the Oregon Court of Appeals.

Michael maintains a diverse litigation practice focusing on medical negligence defense, professional licensing board matters, defending construction defect claims, and general liability defense. Prior to joining Hart Wagner, he was an associate at a family law firm.


News
January 02, 2024

Appellate Attorney Ruth Casby Named Partner

We’re pleased to announce that Ruth Casby has been named partner. Ruth’s practice focuses on appellate advocacy in the Oregon Court of Appeals, the Oregon Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, representing appellants, respondents, and amici in civil and dissolution matters. She also defends the firm’s clients in Oregon state and federal trial courts with many years of experience in the areas of professional, municipal, and employer liability.  We’re proud to call Ruth our partner.


News
December 08, 2023

Oregon PA’s Must Have A Collaboration Agreement in Place No Later Than 12/31/2023

The Oregon Legislature passed HB 2584 (2023) to fully implement physician assistant (PA) collaborative practice created in HB 3036 (2021). The bill clarifies that PAs practice medicine; outlines a PA’s duty of care; defines a PA’s scope of practice is based on their education, training, and experience; updates the employer definition for collaboration agreements; and removes the requirement that a PA’s collaboration agreement include the PA’s performance assessment. The proposed rule amendments align with these updates. Additionally, all PAs are required to enter into a collaboration agreement by December 31, 2023. Practice agreements and practice descriptions will no longer be valid on January 1, 2024. The proposed rules amendments and repeals remove aspects of the PA supervision practice model. An OMB -approved model form can be found here: Sample Collaboration Agreement Template


Results
November 20, 2023

Trial Attorney Chip Horner Obtains Defense Verdict After Three-Week Trial

Chip Horner and his trial team secured a defense verdict for his clients following a three-week Deschutes County trial. At trial, plaintiff alleged all defendants failed to timely diagnosis his oral cancer, leading to personal injuries and a severely reduced life expectancy.  Plaintiffs requested over $20 million dollars in damages.

Upon conclusion of the trial, the Deschutes County jurors returned a defense verdict on all claims.


News
August 17, 2023

Janet Schroer Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year”

Congratulations to Janet Schroer for being recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants. 

Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity.

In addition to the “Lawyer of the Year” award, Janet Schroer is also listed in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the following practice areas:

Appellate Practice
Bet-the-Company Litigation – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.


News
August 17, 2023

Nine Hart Wagner Attorneys Recognized in the 2024 Edition of Best Lawyers in America®

We would like to congratulate nine of our attorneys that have been recognized and named to the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers In America®:

Troy Bundy (recognized since 2012)
Health Care Law
Litigation – Health Care
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants

Clark (Chip) Horner (2024)
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Matt Kalmanson (recognized since 2016)
Appellate Practice
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Litigation – Health Care

Donna Lee (2024)
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants

Karen O’Kasey (recognized since 2012)
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Aaron Potter (recognized since 2019)
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants

Janet Schroer (recognized since 2003)
Appellate Practice
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Joe Traylor (recognized in 2023)
Litigation – Construction
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Mike Wiswall (recognized since 2012)
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

About Best Lawyers®

Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 75 countries. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure


News
July 25, 2023

Appellate Team Wins Precedential Decision Protecting Abuse Survivors

Appellate attorneys Janet Schroer and Taylor Lewis won an appeal on behalf of a survivor of longstanding family abuse.  The appeal followed the trial court’s denial of the client’s motion to renew a Family Abuse Protection Act (FAPA) restraining order.  In doing so, the trial court relied heavily on a recent Court of Appeals decision, J.N.D. v. Dehkordi, 309 Or App 198 (2021), that made it difficult for survivors of abuse to renew restraining orders because Dehkordi required them to prove the abuser posed an “imminent threat of further abuse,” regardless of whether the restraining order had effectively prevented further abusive behaviors.  In K.E.B. v. Bradley, 327 Or App 39 (2023), the Court of Appeals agreed that Dehkordi was wrongly decided, reversed that decision, and held that abuse survivors do not need to prove their abuser still poses an “imminent threat of further abuse” in order to renew a FAPA restraining order.  


News
July 24, 2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Oregon Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Five individual Hart Wagner attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine in their 2023 Oregon Super Lawyers® edition. The publication identifies the most outstanding attorneys in the state, as chosen by their peers and through the research of Super Lawyers, which is a Thomson Reuters business. Notably, Janet Schroer is recognized for being among the Top 10 attorneys in Oregon, and was also recognized with Karen O’Kasey for being included in the Top 25 women lawyers in Oregon.

The following Hart Wagner attorneys were recognized in these designated practice areas:

Troy Bundy – Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense
Matthew Kalmanson – Appellate
Karen O’Kasey – Employment Litigation: Defense
Janet Schroer – Appellate
Michael Wiswall – Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense

Hart Wagner partner Taylor Lewis was selected to the 2023 Rising Stars® list. Taylor was honored in the Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense category. While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to the Super Lawyers roster, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars® list. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers undertakes a multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. For more information, visit www.superlawyers.com


News
July 15, 2023

Attorney Troy Bundy Receives Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation from the Washington State Bar Association

We’re pleased to announce that attorney Troy Bundy has been recognized by the Washington State Bar Association for contributing more than 50 hours of pro bono and public services during 2022.  This service helps those with no place else to turn and advocating to improve the legal system.  During 2022, Troy Bundy and over 1,000 legal professionals delivered over 136,000 hours of pro bono and public services the state of Washington. 


News
July 13, 2023

Hart Wagner Adds Joseph Pickels to General Liability and Medical Malpractice Team

We’re pleased to announce that litigation attorney Joseph Pickels has joined the firm’s preeminent general liability and medical malpractice litigation team.  Joseph’s practice focuses on defending businesses and individuals in general liability claims and healthcare professionals in medical malpractice and wrongful death actions in Oregon and Washington Courts.  Prior to joining Hart Wagner, Joseph served as Chief Counsel and Senior Advisor to the Minority Caucus in the Oregon House of Representatives and as a litigation attorney at a Portland-based civil defense firm.