Thomas W. Sondag
Vice President
sondagt@lanepowell.com
503.778.2111
Areas of Practice
Tom Sondag is Vice President of Lane Powell and Partner in Charge of the Firm’s Portland office.
He is also Chair of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group, and has been lead counsel on more than
200 appeals in state and federal courts, including cases involving constitutional issues, securities
regulation, class action certification, business torts, professional malpractice, property rights,
antitrust, labor law, products liability, and contract disputes. Tom was named Portland’s “Lawyer
of the Year” in Appellate Practice in 2013 by Best Lawyers in America® and has been a Fellow of the
American Academy of Appellate Lawyers since 2007.
Admitted to Practice
Oregon
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Academics
University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D., 1984)
California Law Review (1983-84)
University of California at Berkeley (A.B., with high honors, 1980)
Phi Beta Kappa
Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships
Vice President, Lane Powell PC
Member, Lane Powell Board of Directors
Chair, Appellate Practice Group
Diversity Committee
Litigation
Life, Health, Disability and ERISA
Representative Matters and Clients
Espinoza v. Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., 266 Or. App. 24, 337 P.3d 169 (2014) (recognizing application of forum non conveniens in Oregon)
Brandrup v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., 353 Or. 668, 303 P.3d 301 (2013) (addressing eligibility of MERS to serve as trust deed beneficiary)
Alto v. City of Cannon Beach, 247 Or. App. 641, 270 P.3d 392 (2012) (standing to challenge vested
property rights determination)
Daul v. PPM Energy, Inc., 444 Fed. Appx. 147 (9th Cir. 2011) (claim under employee severance plans)
ZRZ Realty Co. v. Beneficial Fire and Cas. Ins. Co., 349 Or. 117, 241 P.3d 710 (2010), modified,
349 Or. 657, 249 P.3d 111 (2011) (burden of proof in claims for coverage of environmental
contamination)
Behurst v. Crown Cork & Seal USA, Inc., 346 Or. 29, 203 P.3d 207 (2009) (workers’ compensation
exclusivity; certified question from federal court)
Resident Councils of Washington v. Leavitt, 500 F.3d 1025 (9th Cir. 2007) (amicus) (challenge to
federal feeding assistant regulations under Nursing Home Reform Law)
Wah Chang v. PacifiCorp, 212 Or. App. 14, 157 P.3d 243 (2007) (manipulation of electricity
markets)
Buck v. SeaRiver Maritime, 211 Or. App. 324, 154 P.3d 750 (2007) (shipowner’s “turnover” duty
under federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act)
Key Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Edwards, 538 U.S. 974, 123 S. Ct. 1781, 155 L. Ed. 2d 662 (2003)
(amicus) (excessiveness of punitive damages)
Stevens v. First Interstate Bank of Cal., 167 Or. App. 280, 999 P.2d 551, rev. denied, 331 Or. 429
(2000) (privacy claims arising out of third party’s misappropriation of customer’s credit information)
Phoenix Electric v. National Elec. Contractors Ass’n, 81 F.3d 858 (9th Cir. 1996) (job targeting
program protected from antitrust challenge)
Pacific First Bank v. New Morgan Park Corp., 319 Or. 342, 876 P.2d 761 (1994) (clarifying scope of
covenant of good faith and fair dealing under Oregon law)
Publications
“The Insider’s Guide to the Oregon Appellate Courts,” The Appellate Practice Compendium, ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers (2012)
“Superseding and Staying Judgments in Oregon,” Superseding and Staying Judgments: A National
Compendium, ABA (2007)
“Motion Practice,” Appeal and Review, Oregon CLE (2002)
Speaking Engagements
“Ethical Management of Adverse Precedent,” Oregon State Bar Appellate Practice Section (2011)
“Preserving Your Case for Appeal,” Multnomah Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Section Educational
Series (2009)
“Damages: Statutory Limitations and Constitutional Attacks,” Oregon Association of Defense
Counsel Annual Fall Seminar (2008)
“The Nuts and Bolts of an Appeal,” Oregon State Bar Appellate Practice Section (2007)
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“Winning Appeals,” Multnomah County Bar Association (2005)
“Practicing Law in the Oregon Court of Appeals,” Oregon Law Institute (2003)
“From Take-Off to Landing: Mastering the Civil Appeal,” Oregon Law Institute (2001)
“Effective Appellate Advocacy in Federal Court,” Federal Bar Association (1999)
“Effective Appellate Advocacy,” University of Washington School of Law (1997)
Ninth Circuit Appellate Practice Institute (1996)
Awards and Honors
Fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
Selected “Local Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, Appellate, Commercial Litigation (2015-2016)
Named by Best Lawyers® as Portland’s “Lawyer of the Year” in Appellate Practice (2013)
AV Preeminent® in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
Named one of The Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice (2005-2016)
Named as “Oregon Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers® magazine, Appellate Practice (2006-2016)
(“Top 50 Oregon Super Lawyers,” 2008)
Professional and Community Activities
Host, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2016 Pathfinder First Meeting (April 2016)
Past Member, Executive Committee, Oregon State Bar Appellate Practice Section
Past Member, Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee (by appointment of the Oregon
Supreme Court)
Past Member, Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Lane Powell
Past Member, Amicus Committee, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Past President, U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society
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