Commercial disputes arise in all business contexts. They range from relatively straightforward contract disputes and business torts to complex regulatory cases and shareholder litigation. Although companies are focused on avoiding litigation whenever possible, sometimes an early resolution of an emerging dispute is not possible. In those instances, companies need to map out a litigation plan to conduct the litigation successfully and cost-effectively.
The majority of the litigation that we handle involves complex commercial disputes, whether they arise under common law, statute, or regulation. Our attorneys seek a positive resolution of our clients’ cases, in federal or state court, in administrative forums, and in alternative dispute resolution. Stoel Rives’ commercial litigators represent entities and individuals across all industries and stages of corporate growth.
We provide regional litigation services for a number of national companies and also handle a wide variety of cases for other clients with unique litigation needs. Our litigation work takes us across the country and around the world, though we have a particular focus on the footprint of our offices.
Stoel Rives integrates attorneys who are knowledgeable about your industry and relevant substantive areas of the law into its commercial litigation teams. These individuals bring expertise to help our trial litigators best resolve your case — as do our appellate specialists. And we keep an eye on costs, running lean litigation teams who understand you are not in business to fund endless lawsuits.
Stoel Rives litigation teams manage their cases with the latest industry-standard tools, including CaseMap and TextMap, and they are supported by our Litigation Technology Services (LTS) and E-Discovery solutions such as Relativity. To reduce paper use, we manage our deposition transcripts electronically through TextMap. When presenting in court, the litigation team has access to Sanction or Trial Director, the two best tools currently available. This integration of experience, a dedicated LTS staff, and “best of breed” tools allow our litigation teams to reduce costs by properly managing the case and data throughout the litigation process.
Our Services
- Appeals
- Contract disputes
- Business torts
- Consumer actions
- Regulatory enforcement
- Fraud and False Claims Act defense
- Securities claims
- Post-closing disputes related to the purchase and sale of a business
- Uniform Commercial Code
- Government investigations
- Franchise agreements
- Licensing disputes
- Intellectual property litigation
- Internal investigations and audits
- Business dissolution disputes
Related Capabilities
Experience
- Represented Monsanto Company, a leading global provider of agricultural products for farmers, as lead counsel in multiple class actions filed in numerous states arising out of the discovery of genetically modified wheat on a single Oregon farm.
- Represented Chevron USA, Inc., in toxic tort matters, including two hydrogen sulfide exposure cases. One was a wrongful death case that settled on favorable terms to our client, and the second involved the plaintiff alleging epilepsy. We prevailed on summary judgment. This was a seminal case in Utah on intentional workplace injuries, and it resolved the law of election of remedies applied to personal injury claims filed by injured employees.
- Served as lead counsel in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that Pacific Seafood’s proposed acquisition of a seafood processor violates federal antitrust laws. The matter is on interlocutory appeal to the Ninth Circuit on preliminary injunction and arbitration issues.
- Represented Farmers Insurance Company of Oregon in a putative class action. The action seeks repair damages and statutory damages for Oregon policyholders. A summary judgment motion is pending.
- Extensive experience representing management in private labor arbitration matters and before the National Labor Relations Board in all aspects of union-management relations, including union organizing campaigns, representation elections, unfair labor practice charges and collective bargaining.
- Primary outside labor and employment counsel for Gerber. We represent Gerber in a matter before the U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, brought by a former employee alleging claims of violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and wrongful discharge. The case presented novel issues in the district and the Ninth Circuit regarding FMLA interference theories of liability. In the end, the Court agreed with Gerber and granted summary judgment in Gerber’s favor on all claims.
- Represented Rocky Mountain Power in a series of eight consolidated lawsuits seeking damages for a wildfire that consumed over 46,000 acres of land in central Utah. One lawsuit alone identified over 300 individual plaintiffs.
- ATS is a technology company and the country’s largest provider of traffic safety cameras, including red light cameras, speed cameras, and school bus stop arm cameras. Stoel Rives works closely with ATS’ legal team on litigation cases across the West Coast and on intellectual property litigation across the country.
- Represented Living Essentials, LLC, (the distributor of 5-hour ENERGY®) in matters concerning Attorney Generals in six states suing our client alleging the company’s advertisements violate their respective state’s consumer protection laws. We are representing the company in the lawsuits filed in Idaho, Oregon and Washington and have been lead outside counsel with respect to expert testimony in all six states (the other states are Vermont, Indiana and Hawaii).
- Represented FamilyCare, a Coordinated Care Organization established under Oregon law to provide medical services to Oregonians through a contract with the Oregon Health Authority.
- Represented a subsidiary of BP America, Inc., BP West Coast Products, LLC, in a class action relating to the advertising of gasoline prices in Oregon.
