Trial Lawyer and Mediator

Kurt Peterson started his legal career in 1998 after graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law. He spent the first five years in Hood River, Oregon, practicing criminal law.  He then moved back to his hometown of Portland and became a civil litigator.  Kurt has tried over 100 cases to a jury and over 70 arbitrations in Oregon and Washington.  He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a vast range of matters including aviation, administrative law, personal injury, property disputes, construction defect, breach of contract, employment, insurance coverage, and more. He has represented governmental entities, businesses, corporations, injured plaintiffs, workers, and insurers in both Federal and State courts.

Kurt is also the leader of our mediation and arbitration practice. A member of the ADR section of the Oregon State Bar, Kurt brings a wealth of experience as a mediator and arbitrator helping other lawyers and their clients resolve disputes.  Kurt’s deep experience in negotiation and mediation—both as an advocate and as a mediator—can make the difference between a successful pre-trial settlement and an antagonistic winner-take-all approach. Using litigation skills such as seeing all sides of a dispute and building a narrative that gets to the essence of the issue, Kurt can craft an effective mediation strategy that maximizes the chance of a successful outcome, as defined by the client.

Kurt also acts as an arbitrator in PIP/UM and court-annexed arbitrations.  He is available to hear private and contract-required arbitrations in Oregon and Washington.

A native Portlander, Kurt has spent his life in the state he loves. He has great passion for the environment, music, the Portland Timbers, and his family (including dogs).

Case Experience:

• Administrative Law
• Automotive Tort
• Creditors
• Criminal
• Commercial/Business
• Community Associations
• Condominiums Construction
• Contract Disputes
• Debt Collections
• Discrimination
• Employment
• Insurance
• Insurance Coverage
• Landlord/Tenant
• Personal Injury
• Premises Liability
• PIP/UIM
• Professional Negligence
• Property Damage
• Real Estate
• Sexual Harassment
• Timber Trespass
• Torts

How I Serve Clients

When it comes to defending my clients, my first goal is to fully understand what’s a stake in order to provide the strongest and most effective advocacy possible. Sometimes this means taking a case to trial; other times it means settling with the other party in order to keep the business moving forward. Either way, I’m prepared to stand by my client and provide legal counsel that is proactive and grounded in experience to get my client the best possible result. Ultimately, I derive satisfaction from knowing that I helped my client stay focused on their long-term goals and objectives—not getting sidetracked by issues that divert energy and resources from the broader mission of the business.