Louis A. Ferreira
Experience
Lou Ferreira is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP, where he has practiced for the last 24
years as a trial lawyer. He has handled a broad range of high-stake cases and builds
upon that experience to counsel clients on risk management, risk transfer and
insurance issues. In addition to litigation, Lou assists clients in understanding the risks
they face and advises them on procurement of a wide range of insurance products
necessary to deal with their unique risks.
Before joining the firm, Lou served as law clerk to the Honorable Stephen S. Trott,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1989-1990, and as an honors intern in the
U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental and Occupational Disease Litigation
Section, 1987. Before that he was a special forces medic in the U.S. Army.
Representative Work
Insurance Matters:
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Represented national daycare operator in various lawsuits against insurers,
obtaining coverage for serious injuries, alleged child abuse cases and coverage
Partner
Portland, OR
(503) 294-9412 direct
(503) 220-2480 fax
for punitive damages.
lou.ferreira@stoel.com
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Represented clients in establishing and operating captive insurance companies.
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Represented car dealerships, gas station owners, dry cleaners, utilities, pole
Education
treating companies, steel mills, trucking companies, forest products companies,
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J.D., 1989, summa cum laude
and municipal governments to recover insurance proceeds to cover the costs of
environmental cleanups.
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Washington State University, B.A.,
1985
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Academy of Health Sciences,
Represented numerous owners, developers and contractors in coverage litigation
related to construction defects including representing VanPort Homes, Inc. in a
Graduate, Special Operations Medical
precedent setting bad-faith action awarding extra-contractual damages upheld
Supervisor (U.S. Army), 1986
by the Washington Supreme Court.
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Represented the Pacific Lumber Company in obtaining insurance coverage of
Admissions
lawsuits seeking various types of environmental damage arising from a long
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Oregon
legacy of redwood logging in Northern California.
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Washington
Represented a number of clients in insurance coverage disputes seeking coverage
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U.S. District Court of Oregon
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U.S. District Court of Eastern
for property losses from fire, equipment breakdown, tornados, collapse and other
types of losses.
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Represented clients to obtain coverage for various business-related lawsuits
under Directors & Officers policies.
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University of Idaho College of Law,
Represented design professionals such as architects and engineering firms in
Washington
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U.S. District Court of Western
Washington
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit
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U.S. Court of Federal Claims
obtaining coverage for professional malpractice.
Louis A. Ferreira

Represented large apartment owner seeking insurance coverage for class action lawsuit alleging carbon monoxide exposure and
wrongful death.
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Represented various clients to obtain insurance coverage for damages caused by forest fires.
Environmental Matters:

Defended a public utility in a CERCLA case brought by the Washington State Department of Transportation involving a former
manufactured gas plant. Although the client was liable under CERCLA, the State of Washington was denied any recovery for the
approximately $6 million spent on cleanup due to its failure to comply with the regulations in the National Contingency Plan.
The case was upheld on appeal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In a subsequent case involving the same gas
plant site, Lou sued the Washington State Department of Transportation under Washington's Model Toxic Control Act on behalf
of the utility and won a $7.6 million judgment based upon the Department of Transportation's actions at the site having
contaminated the adjacent waterway. Lou is currently representing this client with respect to natural resource damages claims
asserted by the trustees for this site.
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Represented a client with respect to environmental issues posed by former pole treating site. This included negotiating with the
Environmental Protection Agency and engaging in emergency response actions, administrative proceedings culminating in a
consent decree and advising on a broad scope of sediment remediation issues.

Represented various companies in environmental cleanups under Washington's Model Toxic Control Act and defense of related
nuisance/trespass, Clean Water Act and breach of lease claims.

Represented large manufacturing entity as plaintiff against seller of multiple manufacturing facilities across the United Sta tes in
action that recovered costs of cleaning up chlorinated solvent contamination at those facilities based upon the failure to
disclose the contamination.
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Represented a barge operator in civil and criminal investigation into environmental matters associated with the sinking of a
work barge in the Columbia River.
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Represented ship owners and operators in federal criminal investigations of environmental releases.
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Represented Port in real estate litigation over termination of development agreement based on developer's inability to obtain
land use approvals for development.
Forest Product Related Matters:
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Represented paper and lumber mills nationwide in various OSHA enforcement actions, environmental enforcement matters and
wrongful death matters.
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Represented defendants in civil actions brought by the Oregon Department of Forestry seeking recovery for fire suppression
costs associated with forest fires that burned thousands of acres of forest land.

Represented defendants in civil actions brought by landowners whose homes or property were damaged by forest fires in Oregon
and Washington.
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Represented Pacific Lumber Company in several lawsuits successfully obtaining insurance coverage for lawsuits alleging legacy
environmental damage associated with landslides and erosion resulting from logging of redwoods in California.
Louis A. Ferreira

Represented Oregon Forest Industries Council with respect to a federal Clean Water Act citizen suit case seeking to regulate
forest roads as point sources.
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Represented buyers of federal timber in civil litigation involving contract disputes with the U.S. Forest Service.
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Represented forest owners in civil actions arising out of landslides, alleging pollution of rivers and streams, product liabi lity
actions, and wrongful death actions.
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Represented pole treating companies with respect to alleged toxic exposure, products liability lawsuits, environmental cleanup
ligation, and insurance recovery actions.
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Represented lumber mill owner in recovering insurance for mills damaged or destroyed by fire and collapse caused by snow.
Construction Matters:
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Represented a large multi-family housing owner/developer nationally in various construction defect matters, insurance coverage
disputes, and various personal injury matters, including a class action lawsuit involving exposure to carbon monoxide and
alleged multiple fatalities.
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Represented numerous developers of condominiums, apartments and hotels in construction defect litigation and insurance
coverage for construction defects.
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Represented a port in a $20 million lawsuit brought by developers for breach of contract to develop a large mixed-use
waterfront project. Judgment was entered for owner.
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Represented engineering firm in an action involving the collapse of a tower crane that resulted in a fatality and significant
property damage.
OSHA/MSHA Matters:
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Represented a mine operator in various matters arising from a catastrophic accident in which four miners were killed, includi ng
participating in the MSHA accident investigation and the subsequent administrative enforcement action.
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Represented wind farm owner in OSHA investigations arising out of the collapse of a wind tower resulting in a fatality, and
another accident involving serious burns to a wind farm technician.
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Represented steel mills in several fatality inspections by Oregon and federal OSHA. Successfully defended a steel mill from an
enforcement action dealing with alleged toxic exposure and resulting in one of the largest civil penalties ever sought in Ore gon.
The majority of the state's allegations were ultimately dismissed.
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Represented a large public utility in multiple wrongful death actions and OSHA investigation involving electrical issues.
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Represented several paper mill clients nationwide in various governmental agency investigations and civil actions arising out of
fatal and serious accidents, toxic tort exposures, and releases of hazardous substances.
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Represented several large metal products manufacturers in enforcement actions arising out of explosions of titanium mills.
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Represented a refinery client in a Process Safety Management citation arising out of a large fire at a refinery.
Louis A. Ferreira
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Represented manufacturing entity in multiple enforcement proceedings involving toxic exposure, fatalities and other safety and
health violations.
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Represented microchip manufacturer with regard to toxic exposure investigation by OSHA arising out of alleged low level
cumulative exposures causing illness in the high tech industry.
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Represented a coalition of business entities in litigation challenging WISHA's promulgation of Washington's ergonomics standard.
The standard was overturned by voter initiative while the case was pending on appeal.
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Represented TriMet regarding investigations into fatal accidents during light-rail construction work and in developing safety
management programs for construction and tunneling operations.
Professional Honors and Activities
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Listed in Best Lawyers in America© (currently: Insurance Law), 2013-2016
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AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated Energy & Environmental, with Martindale-Hubbell®, 2013
Publications and Presentations
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"All is Not Well with Oregon's ELL," Daily Journal of Commerce, December 19, 2014.
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"Don’t Neglect to Understand Insurance Jargon," Daily Journal of Commerce, April 16, 2014.
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"Contribution and Indemnity" (coauthor), chapter of the Oregon Torts Manual, 1992, and supplemental updates, 1996, 1999,
2000, 2004 and 2012
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Lou is a frequent speaker on environmental, insurance coverage and risk-management issues
Civic Activities
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Commissioner, Fire District No. 13, Clark County, Washington
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Special Forces Association