News
December 22, 2015

Hart Wagner Has Eight Practice Areas Ranked as Tier 1 by “Best Law Firms”

U.S. News and World Report has issued its 2016 law firm rankings.  Hart Wagner received eight regional Tier 1 designations including:

Eugene

Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Portland

Appellate Practice
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants


Recognition
December 22, 2015

Karen O’Kasey Named Local Litigation Star

Hart Wagner’s Karen O’Kasey once again was named a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation.  View the entire list of Oregon attorneys who were honored in the 2016 edition of Benchmark Litigation, the Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys.


Recognition
December 22, 2015

Nine Hart Wagner Attorneys Named Best Lawyers

Congratulations to Janet Schroer and Rod Norton for earning “Lawyer of the Year” designations from Best Lawyers in America 2016!  For the Portland metro area, Rod Norton was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in the category of Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants and Janet was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Appellate Practice.  Additionally, John Hart, Troy Bundy, Matthew Kalmanson, Karen O’Kasey, Jennifer Truzzolino, Gordon Welborn and Michael Wiswall were all selected to be included in Best Lawyers in America for 2016.

Best Lawyers is a respected peer-review publication where exceptional attorneys are evaluated and chosen by their professional peers.  Being designated as a “Best Lawyer” is viewed as a considerable honor by clients and legal professionals.


News
December 15, 2015

Eight Hart Wagner Attorneys Ranked in Oregon Super Lawyers 2015

Congratulations to the Hart Wagner attorneys and all of our colleagues in Oregon’s legal community who were included in this year’s edition of Super Lawyers!  Hart Wagner LLP’s lawyers were recognized once again for their depth in medical malpractice, personal injury, professional liability, employment litigation and appellate law.  For the fifth consecutive year, Karen O’Kasey made the Top 25 Women list.  Congratulations to Mark Sherman for being selected as a Rising Star for the second year in a row.


Results
October 06, 2015

Fast Verdict for a Medical Negligence Case

After a seven-day trial, Karen O’Kasey has won a medical negligence case in Multnomah County!  Plaintiff was referred by her care provider for an ultrasound due to a breast lump.  Our client, her radiologist, then interpreted the ultrasound and continued to do a mammogram based on his findings.  He spoke to her about his findings then sent his report to the referring provider for follow-up.  Plaintiff claimed that her radiologist was negligent in evaluating her breast lump.  Plaintiff was seeking over $5,000,000 in non-economic and economic damages.  Jury deliberated less than 3 hours before coming back with a defense verdict.


Results
September 25, 2015

Unanimous Defense Verdict When a Feller Buncher Fell Off a Bridge

Plaintiffs (an individual and his company) sued a logging company, our client, for a total of $5,130,123 in economic and non-economic damages for an accident in August 2008 in which plaintiff alleges that while driving a feller buncher over a bridge on the property being logged, the bridge failed causing the feller buncher to fall off the bridge.  He alleged brain injuries as a result.  The case went to the jury on Sept 25 and after a one-hour deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the defendants.


Results
September 14, 2015

Defense Verdict in Rare Blood Clotting Case

Plaintiff was diagnosed 15 days post-operatively with an extremely rare blood clotting process in the veins of small intestines which affects 1 in 7.5 million laparoscopic surgery patients.  Plaintiff alleged negligence and wrongful death against our client, his physician.  After a 9-day trial in Multnomah County, Karen O’Kasey received a defense verdict.  Plaintiff was seeking $3,000,000 in non-economic and economic damages.


Results
September 09, 2015

Defense Verdict Related to Cancer Care

Plaintiff, widow of the patient, sued our client for $582,140 for negligence relating to a staph infection from a PICC line placed during the patient’s treatment for aplastic anemia, alleging that it had progressed to the extent it was no longer effectively treatable, causing the patient to die.

Co-defendant was dismissed from the case on Sept 4 (trial day 4).  The case against our client went to the jury on Sept 9 and after a one-hour deliberation, the jury returned an 11-1 verdict in favor of our client.


News
August 24, 2015

Two Hart Wagner Attorneys Featured in Recent OADC Newsletter

Oregon Association of Defense Counsel President and Hart Wagner trial attorney Gordon Welborn and Hart Wagner associate Michael Jacobs both have articles in the OADC 2015 Issue 2. Mr. Welborn wrote the article “Investment in Justice” regarding judicial salaries in Oregon and Mr. Jacobs wrote an article titled, “They Will Ask, Do Not Tell: Avoiding Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege.”