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Thomas W. Sondag Photo

Tom

Thomas W. Sondag
ShareholderVice President; Appellate Team Chair
Portland
D 503.778.2111
C 503.548.3476
sondagt@lanepowell.com

Tom Sondag is one of the most experienced and successful appellate lawyers in the Pacific Northwest, having been lead counsel in more than 200 appeals in state and federal courts. In addition to his appellate practice, he also serves in multiple leadership roles at Lane Powell, including Vice President, Partner in Charge of the firm’s Portland office, and Chair of the firm’s Appellate Team.   

Tom’s appellate experience spans a gamut of substantive areas, including:  

  • Constitutional challenges
  • Securities regulation
  • Class action certification
  • Business torts
  • Professional malpractice
  • Property rights
  • Antitrust
  • Labor and employment
  • Products liability
  • Commercial disputes.  

Tom has twice been named Portland’s “Lawyer of the Year” in Appellate Practice and once as Portland's "Lawyer of the Year" in Bet-the-Company Litigation by Best Lawyers® and has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers since 2007.

Experience

  • Espinoza v. Evergreen Helicopters, Inc.
    359 Or. 63, 376 P.3d 390 (2016)
    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.
    Case No. 349 Or. 117, 241 P.3d 710 modified, 349 Or. 657, 249 P.3d 111 (9th Cir. 2007)
    Burden of proof in claims for coverage of environmental contamination.
  • Behurst v. Crown Cork & Seal USA, Inc.
    Case No. 346 Or. 29, 203 P.3d 207
    Workers’ compensation exclusivity; certified question from federal court.
  • Resident Councils of Washington v. Leavitt
    Case No. 500 F.3d 1025
    Challenge to federal feeding assistant regulations under Nursing Home Reform Law. (Amicus)
  • Wah Chang v. PacifiCorp
    Case No. 212 Or. App. 14, 157 P.3d 243 (2007)
    Manipulation of electricity markets.
  • Buck v. SeaRiver Maritime
    Case No. 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
    Case No. 538 U.S. 974, 123 S. Ct. 1781, 155 L. Ed. 2d 662 (2003)
    Excessiveness of punitive damages. (Amicus)
  • Stevens v. First Interstate Bank of Cal.
    Case No.  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 Association
    Case No. 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.

Professional Experience

Lane Powell

  • Vice President
  • Member, Executive Committee and Board of Directors
  • Past Member, Diversity Committee
     

Community Involvement

U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, Past President

The Lawyers' Campaign for Equal Justice, Advisory Committee

Oregon State Bar Appellate Practice Section, Executive Committee, Past Member

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2016 Pathfinders, Host (April 2016) 

Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee (by appointment of the Oregon Supreme Court), Past Member

Lane Powell, Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Past Member 

Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, Amicus Committee, Past Member
 

Thought Leadership

  • September 15, 2022News
    Sondag Quoted in Portland Business Journal Article 'How Portland Law Firms are Recruiting in a Very Hot Job Market'
    In the News
  • August 18, 2022News

    The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Recognizes 90 Lane Powell Attorneys

    Awards & Honors
  • March 8, 2022News
    Sondag Named 2022 ‘Executive of the Year’ by Portland Business Journal
    Awards & Honors
  • October 19, 2021News
    Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2022
    Awards & Honors
  • August 19, 2021News
    The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 Recognizes 90 Lane Powell Attorneys
    Awards & Honors
  • June 8, 2021News

    Lane Powell Featured in Oregon State Bar Bulletin Article on the Post-COVID Future of Workplaces in Law

    In the News
  • October 28, 2020News
    Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2021
    Awards & Honors
  • August 20, 2020News
    The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 Recognizes 92 Lane Powell Attorneys
    Awards & Honors
  • December 6, 2019Publication
    Additional Civil Appeals: Oregon
    Practical Law
  • December 6, 2019Publication
    Initial Civil Appeals: Oregon
    Practical Law
  • August 15, 2019News
    The Best Lawyers in America© 2020 Recognizes 63 Lane Powell Attorneys
    Awards & Honors
  • July 5, 2019News
    Twenty-one Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Alaska and Oregon
    Awards & Honors
  • October 12, 2018News
    Lane Powell Highly Recommended in Benchmark Litigation 2019
    Awards & Honors
  • August 15, 2018News
    The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 Recognizes 62 Lane Powell Attorneys
    Awards & Honors
  • July 24, 2018News
    Twenty-three Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Alaska and Oregon
    Awards & Honors
  • October 26, 2017News
    Lane Powell Highly Recommended in Benchmark Litigation 2018
    Awards & Honors
  • August 15, 2017News
    Fifty-nine Lane Powell Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers® in America 2018
    Awards & Honors
  • July 10, 2017News
    Twenty-three Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Alaska and Oregon
    Awards & Honors
  • May 10, 2017News
    Sondag Quoted in Oregon Business Magazine Feature on Law Firms
    In the News
  • October 20, 2016News
    Lane Powell Highly Recommended in Benchmark Litigation 2017
    Awards & Honors
  • August 17, 2016News
    Fifty-one Lane Powell Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017
    Awards & Honors
  • July 11, 2016News
    Twenty-one Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Alaska and Oregon
    Awards & Honors
  • April 14, 2016Event / CLE
    Pathfinder Meeting
    Leadership Council on Legal Diversity | Redmond, Washington
  • October 27, 2015News
    Lane Powell Highly Recommended in 2016 Benchmark Litigation
  • August 17, 2015News
    Forty-eight Lane Powell Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016
    Awards & Honors
  • July 8, 2015News
    Fifteen Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Oregon Super Lawyers’ and Four Named as ‘Oregon Rising Stars’
    Awards & Honors
  • October 20, 2014News
    Eleven Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized as “Litigation Stars;” Two Named as “Future Stars” in 2015 Benchmark Litigation Legal Guide
  • October 2, 2014News
    Lane Powell Announces Succession Plan for Firm’s Top Management
  • August 18, 2014News
    Fifty-One Lane Powell Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015
    Awards & Honors
  • July 9, 2014News
    Fifteen Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Oregon Super Lawyers’ and Five Named as ‘Oregon Rising Stars’
    Awards & Honors
  • W-H-Sondag-PBJ
  • Awards_2023 Best Lawyers America
  • 2023 Benchmark Litigation Local Star

Practices & Industries

  • Appellate
  • Commercial Litigation

Education

  • University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), J.D., 1984
    • California Law Review (1983-1984)
  • University of California at Berkeley, A.B., with high honors, 1980
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Oregon
  • U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third and Ninth Circut
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Honors

Fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers

"Portland Lawyer of the Year" Best Lawyers®, Appellate (2013, 2018); Bet-the-Company Litigation (2021)

"Local Litigation Star," Benchmark Litigation, Appellate, Commercial Litigation (2015-2023)

The Best Lawyers in America©, Appellate (2005-2023); Commercial Litigation (2018-2023); Bet-the-Company Litigation (2020-2023)

"Oregon Super Lawyer," Thomson Reuters, Appellate (2006-2019)

"Top 50 Oregon Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, Appellate (2008)

AV Preeminent® in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™

Before proceeding, please note:  If you are not a current client of Lane Powell PC, please do not include any information in this email that you or someone else considers to be confidential or secret in nature.  Prior to the establishment of a lawyer-client relationship, unsolicited emails from non-clients containing confidential or secret information cannot be protected from disclosure.

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