Experience

Lou Ferreira is a member of the firm practicing in the complex litigation section. His practice focuses on environmental matters, toxic torts, insurance coverage, construction, and products liability matters. As a private timberland owner, Lou is very involved in Forestry Practices Act issues and represents Forest Products Industry clients in a broad range of matters.

Before joining the firm, Lou served as law clerk to the Honorable Stephen S. Trott, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1989-1990, and as an honors intern in the U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental and Occupational Disease Litigation Section, 1987. Before that he was a special forces medic in the U.S. Army.

Representative Work

• Represented a public utility in a CERCLA case in which the state of Washington was denied millions of dollars spent on environmental cleanup due to its failure to comply with the National Contingency Plan ("NCP"). The case was upheld on appeal by U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Represented numerous clients in private environmental cost recovery actions under Federal Superfund and Oregon and Washington clean up statutes.
• Represented numerous companies nationwide in various governmental agency investigations and civil actions arising out of deaths, catastrophic accidents, and toxic exposures.
• Represented a coalition of business entities in litigation challenging WISHA's promulgation of Washington's ergonomics standard. The standard was overturned by voter initiative while the case was on appeal.
• Represented numerous paper mills and wood products companies nationwide with respect to OSHA and environmental matters.
• Represented clients in construction, manufacturing, transportation, electrical, and mining industries in civil wrongful death actions.
• Represented clients in numerous insurance coverage disputes for environmental, construction and wrongful death matters. Regularly advises clients on insurance coverage issues arising under general liability, umbrella, and excess insurance policies.
• Represented a dam operator in a class action involving flooding of a city in Washington defeating class certification and obtaining summary judgment on negligence claims.
• Represented a defendant charged by the Oregon Department of Forestry with starting a forest fire that burned several thousand acres.

Professional Honors & Activities

• Member, American Bar Association Litigation Subcommittee on Environmental Litigation
• Member, Oregon State Bar
• Member, Washington State Bar Association
• Member, Multnomah Bar Association
• Member, Clark County Bar Association

Presentations

• Lou is a frequent speaker on environmental, insurance coverage and risk-management issues

Civic Activities

• Commissioner, Fire District No. 13, Clark County, Washington
• Special Forces Association

Publications

• "Contribution and Indemnity" (coauthor), chapter of the Oregon Torts Manual, 1992, and supplemental updates, 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2004
• "Oregon OSHA Seeks to Expand Enforcement Powers," Oregon Insider, 1998, Construction & Design Law, 1999
• "OR-OSHA Acts to Increase Its Enforcement Powers," The Oregon Labor Letter, 1998

Education

• University of Idaho College of Law, J.D., 1989, summa cum laude
• Washington State University, B.A., 1985
• Academy of Health Sciences, Graduate, Special Operations Medical Supervisor (U.S. Army), 1986

Admissions

• Oregon
• Washington
• U.S. state and federal courts of Oregon, Washington
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

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