Attorney Profiles

Tom Powers's practice focuses on toxic tort litigation, including thimerosal and vaccine injuries and asbestos. He has worked on PPA, PPH and hormone therapy litigation. He also handles claims involving serious personal injuries caused by dangerous and defective products, as well as general litigation claims involving serious injuries.

As a leader of the Petitioners' Steering Committee pursuing autism and other injury claims in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Tom coordinates discovery efforts on behalf of over 4,000 thimerosal-injured children seeking compensation in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

He is co-chair of the Legislative Committee of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, serves on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar's Products Liability Section, and is a member of the American Association for Justice, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and the Multnomah Bar Association.

Several of Tom's articles have appeared in bar and professional and publications. He regularly makes presentations at CLE seminars and professional association meetings.

Tom earned his J.D. from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in 1998. He is admitted to practice in the state courts of Oregon and Washington, the U.S. District Court for Oregon, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. Because of the firm's participation in national litigation, Tom has also appeared in cases in California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Before joining our firm in early 2000, Tom was an associate at a defense firm where his practice focused primarily on insurance coverage and product liability defense. Tom became a partner in WLO&P in December 2004.

Prior to law school, Tom served for nearly ten years as a campaign organizer, staff director and lobbyist for the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG's) in Florida and California. In that capacity he worked on a wide range of environmental protection and consumer justice issues at the state and national level through initiative campaigns, grassroots organization building, and legislative advocacy. He continues to perform pro bono legal work for the PIRG's and other public interest organizations.

Tom is an avid bicycle racer and commuter, and he is active in local community and civic organizations.

Areas of Practice

• Toxic Tort Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Oregon
• Washington
• U.S. District Court District of Oregon
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Education

• Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon, 1998
  J.D.
  
  

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Petitioners' Steering Committee
  Leader
  
  
• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
  Co-Chair, Legislative Committee
  
  
• Oregon State Bar, Products Liability Section
  Executive Committee
  
  
• American Association for Justice
  Member
  
  
• Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
  Member
  
  
• Multnomah Bar Association
  Member
  
  
• Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG's)
  Campaign Organizer/Staff Director/Lobbyist
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Defense Firm, Associate, 2000