Our Public Policy Litigation Practice

Clients with legal matters in the public arena require lawyers who can use a wide variety of tools to achieve their goals.  Led by William F. Gary and James E. Mountain, both having served previously as Deputy Oregon Attorney General, we collect deep experience representing clients with complex disputes at the intersection of law and public policy.  When achieving our clients’ goals requires litigation in judicial or administrative tribunals, we draw on extensive experience inside and outside of government to investigate options, manage risk, and execute litigation strategies with skill and resolve.  Frequently, we coordinate with government relations professionals from our firm and others, as well as public relations professionals, in order to harmonize litigation with our clients’ broader objectives.

Our Public Policy Litigation Practice draws on our firm’s talented and experienced roster of regionally recognized appellate, trial, and regulatory lawyers.  We are comfortable and skilled at litigating matters under intense public scrutiny.  For example:

• We have represented coalitions of local governments in litigation and legislative efforts to reform the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System, eliminating unfunded actuarial liability of more than $16 billion.

• We represented the Metro regional government in litigation with opponents of our client’s plans to contribute funds to the construction of a convention center hotel, prevailing in trial court proceedings until a settlement was struck that permitted the project to go forward.

• We represented Oregon Health Sciences University (now Oregon Health & Science University) in multiple challenges to the constitutionality of the Oregon Tort Claims Act and its limitation on tort damages.

• We represented the Port of Portland in public records litigation establishing the ability of public bodies to enter into confidential joint-defense communications that are exempt from public disclosure.