Professional Certification & Accolades

• Member, Oregon State Bar Association
• Member, Defense Research Institute
• Member, American Bar Association, Torts and Insurance
  Practice Section  
• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Member, PHRMA
• Admitted, United States District Court for the District of Oregon
• Member, Litigation Counsel of America
• Oregon Super Lawyer 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
• Member, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC)
  Chairman, Automobile Practice Group, OADC, 2007-2008
  Vice-Chairman, Automobile Practice Group, OADC, 2006-2007 Publication Liaison, OADC, 2005-2006

Bar Admissions

• Oregon 

Education

• Drake University School of Law and Center for Dispute Resolution, J.D., Order of the Coif, 1992

• University of Portland, B.S., Finance, 1988

• Conducted over 100 jury trials and 270 arbitrations.
• Successfully defended homeowners in a case involving the wrongful death of a 6-year-old boy at their home.  The boy’s death was the result of near decapitation when a dumbwaiter he was inspecting was inadvertently activated, trapping him in the dumbwaiter shaft.  Our investigation revealed that the dumbwaiter was not in compliance with Oregon elevator laws because it lacked any number of required safety features.  After the parents filed suit, the young man’s wrongful death case was settled for $520,000, of which our client, the homeowners, paid only $20,000. 
• Successfully defended a woman in a wrongful death case brought by her ex-husband following the death of their 3-year-old child.  This case was settled at a mediation following discovery and was resolved within an extraordinarily favorable outcome for the insurance carrier. 
• Successfully defended a married couple from Southwest Washington who caused a catastrophic car accident at the Portland International Airport.  The accident resulted in the near amputation of the Plaintiff’s legs, a 38-year-old oral surgeon with a thriving practice.  Despite the fact that the medical expenses were $2.3 million and the estimated future wage loss exceeded $5 million, the case was settled well below the pre-filing demand and with minimal contribution from the clients. 
• Successfully defended an industrial turbine manufacturer in numerous lawsuits for personal injuries and wrongful deaths resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing materials used in the manufacture and maintenance of its products.  To date, all of the cases have either been voluntarily dismissed, subject to summary judgment or resulted in judgments in favor of the Defendant at trial. 
• Participated in the defense of Dow Chemical in the Oregon Breast Implant litigation as well as Showa Denko KK in the Oregon l-tryptophan litigation. 
• Participated in the defense of Owens Corning Fiberglass in over 750 cases arising out of alleged exposure to Owens Corning products in tire factories in Central Iowa.
• Successfully defended a regional amusement park in a lawsuit arising from the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by one of its employees; the case settled on extraordinarily favorable terms.
• Successfully defended a recovering heroin addict in a multimillion-dollar personal injury suit (including punitive damages for intoxication) arising from a high-speed motor vehicle accident. Following a five-day jury trial, the plaintiff was awarded only $33,000.
• Successfully defended a manufacturer of commercial smoke devices.
• Successfully defended a regional pharmacy in a wrongful death suit for misprescribing narcotic medications, resulting in plaintiff’s death.The pharmacy was granted summary judgment following discovery.

Success Stories
Employee Discrimination
Oregon Securities Law