Thomas Gordon

RETIRED, portland

9020 SW Washington Square Road, Suite 560
Tigard, Oregon 97223
Telephone: 503-242-2922
Facsimile: 503-242-1264

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Tom Gordon was Senior Counsel at Gordon & Polscer, L.L.C. in the Portland office. His practice was dedicated to insurance coverage litigation (including bad faith litigation), insurance defense litigation, appeals, complex commercial law, and technological torts. Tom was a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Defense Research Institute (DRI), where he served on the National Board of Directors and as a member of its Law Institute.

Tom was an AV Rated Lawyer for more than 20 years. He was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers, a peer-elected distinction limited to the top 5% of attorneys in Oregon, in 2008-2009 and 2011-2013. Tom was also selected as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in 2011 and 2012, and as A Leading Lawyer in America in 2010 by Corporate Counsel.

Education & Credentials

  • B.S., Portland State University, 1971

  • J.D., Northwestern School of Law, Environmental Law Review, 1974

Admitted to Practice

  • Oregon State Bar

  • United States District Court, District of Oregon

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Professional Memberships & Activities

  • Defense Research Institute (Member of the National Board of Directors; Past Chair of Insurance Law Committee; past member of Law Institutes Committee, which plans and oversees all DRI seminars; DRI Task Force to compile Good Faith Claims Handling Guide for all 50 states)

  • Selected, U.S. Oregon District Court Task Force to Revise Local Federal Rules, 1994-1995

  • American Bar Association: Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Committee on Professional Liability, Vice-Chair; frequent speaker and author on insurance and toxic tort issues both for National Institutes and National Conventions; Employment Law Section

  • Oregon State Bar Association (Litigation Section; Business Law Section)

  • Oregon State Bar Task Force to analyze ethical issues when defending under reservation of rights by insurance company (appointed by Oregon State Bar President), 1994-1995

  • Multnomah County Bar Association

  • International Association of Defense Counsel (Vice-Chair of Insurance Law Committee; speaker on broad range of insurance topics at both mid-year and Annual meetings)

  • Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (Board of Directors, 1997-2001)

  • Liability Insurance Research Bureau (speaker at national seminar/workshops on a variety of CGL insurance issues with emphasis on exclusions in CGL policies)

  • Practicing Law Institute (speaker on CGL insurance topics, including use of experts in coverage litigation and trial issues in coverage litigation)

  • Task Force of DRI to Produce Trial Lawyer Handbook on Ethical Obligations in Defending Policyholders

Recognitions & Honors

  • AV-Peer Review Rated for more than 20 years

  • Oregon Super Lawyer: 2008-2009, 2011-2013. 2015

  • Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Insurance Law