Thomas W. Brown
Work in Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP
Top Rated Family Law Attorney with 43 years of experience
Employment, Ethics & Professional Responsibility
900 SW Fifth Avenue, 24th Floor, Portland, OR 97204
About Thomas W. Brown
Practice Areas
- Employment
- Ethics & Professional Responsibility
Education
- Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon, 1980J.D.
- University of Texas, 1974B.S.
- Major: Radio/Television/Film
Classes and Seminars
- Collaborative Law and the Vanishing Jury Trial, Panelist, Multnomah Bar Association debate, 2010 - Present
- Exiting the Partnership, ALFA Annual Business Meeting , 2010 - Present
- Punitive Damages, Panelist, Chartis Insurance Company Defense Panel Program, 2010 - Present
- Bridging the Generations , Oregon State Bar's Future of the Profession Symposium, 2008 - Present
- Attorney Liability for Client's Breach of Fiduciary Duty after Reynolds v. Schrock, Professional Liability Fund Panel Conference , 2007 - Present
- Popular Strategies and Tactics in Mediation: Which Work and Why?, Panelist, ALFA International, International Client Seminar, - 2013
- Adjunct professor, Lewis and Clark Law School in its legal writing department
- “Implications of Recent Oregon Supreme Court Decisions”, Presented at CLE hosted by the Oregon State Bar and cosponsored by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, October, 2016
- “Popular Strategies and Tactics in Mediation: Which Work and Why?”, Panelist, ALFA International, International Client Seminar, March, 2013
- “Collaborative Law and the Vanishing Jury Trial”, Panelist, Multnomah Bar Association debate, April, 2010
- “Exiting the Partnership”, ALFA Annual Business Meeting, October, 2010
- “Punitive Damages”, Panelist, Chartis Insurance Company Defense Panel Program, June, 2010
- “Bridging the Generations”, Oregon State Bar’s Future of the Profession Symposium, September, 2008
- “Attorney Liability for Client’s Breach of Fiduciary Duty after Reynolds v. Schrock”, Professional Liability Fund Panel Conference, 2007
- “E-Discovery Strategies and Document Retention- Panel”, ALFA NW Regional Seminar, 2007
- “Learning the Ropes”, Panelist on Professionalism for the PLF’s annual 3-day program for new lawyers, 2007
- “Appellate Update”, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC) Fall Seminar, 2006
- “Attorney Liability”, Oregon Law Institute (OLI), 2006
- “Bridging the Gap Between Boomers and Gen-Xrs”, ALFA Annual Business Meeting, October, 2006
- “Williams v. Philip Morris”, Interview by CBS radio regarding punitive damages case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court to be argued October 31, 2006
- “Recent Appellate Cases”, Speaker, Oregon State Bar Products Liability Section, 2005
- “Retaining Gen X Attorneys”, Speaker, ALFA Annual Business Meeting, 2005
- “Appellate Update”, Speaker, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, 2004
- “MBA Effective Delegation Program”, Speaker, 2004
- “The Auto Liability Policy/Excess and Umbrella Coverage”, Speaker, OSB, Auto Coverage and Litigation Program, 2004
- “Civil Litigation Timelines”, PLF Loss Prevention Materials, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009
- “Standard Definitions”, OSB Insurance Law, 2003
- “What the Court Wants in Briefs”, Speaker, Oregon Law Institute, Appellate Courts Program, 2003
- “Appellate Update”, OADC Annual Program, 2002
- “Briefing Merits in Court of Appeals”, OSB Appeal & Review, 2002
- “Acquisition, Retention and Disclosure of Claim Information”, Speaker, Oregon Casualty Adjusters Association Program, 2001
- “Court of Appeals Review Standards”, Speaker, OLI Future of Oregon Appellate Courts Program, 2001
- “New Appellate Procedure Rules”, Speaker, OSB Appellate Practice Section Program, 2000
- “1999 Legislative and Case Update”, Speaker, OCAA Spring Symposium, 1999
- “Appeal Timelines/Attorney Fees”, PLF Loss Prevention Materials, 1999
- “Appellate Court Settlement Program”, Oregon Association of Legal Secretaries, 1999
- “Appellate Update”, Speaker, OADC Annual Program, 1999
- “Wrongful Initiation of Civil Proceedings Cases”, Speaker, PLF Defense Panel Conference, 1999
- “Briefing Merits in Court of Appeals”, OSB Appeal & Review, 1998
- “Appeals”, PLF In Brief, 1997
- “Statute of Limitations/Appeal Timelines”
- “Comparative Fault”, OSB Damages, 1995
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Oregon, 1980
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1980
- U.S. District Court District of Oregon, 1980
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1989
- Washington, 2002
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington, 2007
- U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 2011
Other Affiliations
- Oregon Association (Defense Counsel OADC)
- Multnomah Bar Association ((MBA), )
- American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (Fellow)
- Litigation Counsel of America (emeritus) (Fellow)
- Owen M. Panner American Inn of Court (emeritus) (Master)
- United States Supreme Court Historical Society (Member)
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Historical Society (Member)
- Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (Member)
- Boards of the OSB Appellate Practice Section Executive Committee, 1997 - 1998 (CLE Subcommittee Chair)
- OSB Appellate Practice Section Executive Committee (Secretary, 1998-1999)
- OSB Appellate Practice Section Executive Committee (Chair-Elect, 2000-01; Chair, 2001-02)
- OSB ADR Section Executive Committee (Member, 2013)
- MBA (Secretary, 2005-06)
- MBA (President-Elect, 2006-07; President, 2007-08; and Past President, 2008-09)
- ALFA International (ALFA) (Former member of the Board of Directors)
- ALFA Finance Committee (Past member)
- ALFA Strategic Planning Committee and Insurance Law Practice Group (Current member)
- ALFA Strategic Planning Committee and Insurance Law Practice Group (Vice-Chair, 2011-13, Chair 2013-2015)
- ALFA Strategic Planning Committee and Insurance Law Practice Group (Chair Emeritus, 2015 – 2017)
- Multnomah County Circuit Court (Pro tem judge)
Past Positions
- Honorable William Richardson of the Oregon Court of Appeals, Clerked, 1980 - 1981
- Multnomah County Circuit Court, Pro Tem Judge, 1997 - 2000
- Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP, managing partner, 1994 - 2010
Articles
Published Works
- May it Please the Court, Measure 51 Multnomah Lawyer, 2008
- Law Day at 50, The Rule of Law and A Plug for CourtCare, Multnomah Lawyer, 2008
- Mentoring: It's More Important Now Than Ever”, Multnomah Lawyer, 2008
- My 15 Minutes of Fame, So Many to Thank, the Year Ahead and a Link in a Chain”, Multnomah Lawyer, 2008
- “Oregon’s Duty to Defend Rules: Proper Application in the Summary Judgment Context and the Proper Role of Casey v. N.W. Security Ins. Co.“, Client Update, ALFA International, Insurance Practice Group Property and Casualty Insurance Sub-Group, June 2013
- “Oregon’s Unique Approach to Punitive Damages Awards”, Client Update, ALFA International, Insurance Practice Group Property and Casualty Insurance Sub-Group, August, 2012
- “May it Please the Court and Measure 51”, Multnomah Lawyer, May, 2008
- “Law Day at 50, The Rule of Law and A Plug for CourtCare”, Multnomah Lawyer, April, 2008
- “Mentoring: It’s More Important Now Than Ever”, Multnomah Lawyer, March, 2008
- “My 15 Minutes of Fame, So Many to Thank, the Year Ahead and a Link in a Chain”, Multnomah Lawyer, June, 2008
- “Pro Bono (and a Well-Deserved Recognition)”, Multnomah Lawyer, January, 2008
- “The Vanishing Civil Jury Trial and Experienced Judge”, Multnomah Lawyer, February, 2008
- “A Crumbling Courthouse Puts the Entire Community in Jeopardy”, Multnomah Lawyer, October, 2007
- “Bridging the Gap to the Future”, Multnomah Lawyer, November, 2007
- “Civil Litigation Practice Guides”, Reviewed, edited and supplemented various civil litigation practice guides for the PLF, 2007
- “Potpourri”, Multnomah Lawyer, December, 2007
- “The Satisfaction and Benefits from Giving to the Profession and the Community”, Multnomah Lawyer, September, 2007
- “Bridging the Generations”, co-author Multnomah Bar Association Task Force, 2006
- “Case Summaries”, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC) Fall Seminar, 2006
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