Whether you own a business that sells guns, a firing range that helps people perfect their shots or you are simply an individual Oregon citizen with a firearm, it's important to keep up on the applicable laws. The lines between potential wrongdoing and legality can be...
Civil Appeals
State court reverses trial court ruling in harassment case
The Oregon Supreme Court recently reversed the ruling of a trial court, which originally issued a summary judgment for the defendants in a sexual harassment case. The decision of the appeals court centered around whether or not the defendant in the case could have a...
The appellant versus the appellee
When a lower court decision is entered, both parties generally have the right of appeal. In some specific cases, appeals might not be allowed, particularly if the parties had agreed to abide by an arbitration decision beforehand. If an appeal is entered, though, the...
Summary judgment doesn’t always end the case
When you are dealing with civil litigation, a summary judgment against you can be disheartening. Just as you might be gearing up for a trial or further hearings, the trial court might grant a motion for summary judgment on some technicality or fact. Many times,...
Keep your estate out of court
Over the past few weeks, we've discussed a number of cases involved in civil appeals and highlighted some important facets of the appeals process. Today, we're taking a moment to point out that it is often in your best interest to keep a case from traveling up the...
Appeals court upholds Bureau of Labor and Industries decision
The appeals court in Oregon recently reviewed a case that was appealed by an employer after a decision was made by the Bureau of Labor and Industries' Commissioner. The appeals court ultimately sided against the employer and upheld the decision.The original case...
April is a great month to double check environmental compliance
With Earth Day rapidly approaching on April 22, this is a good month for businesses and organizations to think about their approach to the environment. Are you compliant with all environmental laws that apply to your location and industry? If not, you are risking...
What is the difference between a trial and an appeal?
When dealing with matters of civil law, a trial and an appeal are not the same thing. Typically, an appeal comes after a trial court or jury has already made a decision. While the law being considered is the same in both cases, the processes for trials and appeals can...
Court sides with defendants in liability case
The Oregon Court of Appeals recently reviewed a case regarding whether the provider of electrical requirements for a facility that produced semiconductors was liable for damages occurring in relation to an outage in 2007. The plaintiffs in the case contended that the...
Court decides arbitrator must hear motion
It's a growing trend among companies to have employees and customers sign contracts that include arbitration agreements. In an arbitration agreement, a person usually agrees that any legal matter will be heard by a third-party arbitrator and not a court. One case...