United in advocacy
Elizabeth Lampson was first licensed in California over twenty years ago – and joined our firm as a result of trying a case against another Davis Rothwell attorney. The two lawyers were able to find a collaborative approach, even in advocacy, for the benefits of their respective clients – and the jury found a third party at fault. What drew her to the firm, and what remains important to her career as a litigator today, is the quality and integrity of the lawyers at Davis Rothwell, and the privilege to defend complex cases.
Elizabeth has extensive jury and judge trial as well as arbitration experience, and is also a frequent speaker at industry and continuing education events. Her clients appreciate her ability to prevail at trial – achieving both business wins and gratifying conclusions for issues that are often complex and emotional.
Her volunteer activities and three kids’ sports events keep her very busy when not at work – but she finds time to run, enjoy good food, wine, and company, and take advantage of the gorgeous Northwest.
Memberships
- California State Bar Association
- Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
- Defense Research Institute
- Oregon State Bar Association
- Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
- Oregon Women Lawyers, Queen’s Bench Chapter
- Washington State Bar Association
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
- Top Construction Lawyers, Fellow
Professional & Civic Involvement
- Speaker: Oregon Association of Defense Counsel Fall Seminar 2017, Defending the Missing Defendant: What to Do When You Are There But Your Client is Not, November 2017
- Facilitator: Oregon Defense Counsel Products Liability Practice Group, CLE Conference Anatomy of an Effective Rule 104 Hearing, October 2017
- Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, Board of Directors, 2015 to present
- Oregon Women Lawyers, Queens’ Bench Chapter, Board of Directors, 2013 to present (Chairperson, Communications Committee (2014-15); Secretary (2016)
- Three Rivers Charter School, Board of Directors, 2012 to present
- Oregon Casualty Adjusters Association Spring 2013 Symposium Speakers
- DRI Construction Litigation Desk Reference, A State-By-State Compendium.
- Dismissal of $1.5 million personal injury lawsuit: Elizabeth Lampson and shareholder Chris Parker won a motion for summary judgment in Lane County in favor of their newspaper publisher client. The lawsuit arose out of an accident between the plaintiff, who was riding a bicycle, and a vehicle operated by a carrier retained to deliver the publisher’s newspapers. Plaintiff sued the publisher, arguing it was vicariously liable for the carrier’s actions. Plaintiff also alleged the carrier was negligent in retaining and supervising this carrier. Counsel moved for summary judgment that the carrier was an independent contractor that retained exclusive control over the manner in which the work was performed. Counsel also moved against plaintiff’s negligence claim, arguing there was no evidence that the publisher was negligent in retaining or supervising the carrier. The court granted summary judgment in the publisher’s favor, disposing of plaintiff’s claims in their entirety.
- Dispositive motion for summary judgment for firm’s developer client: Elizabeth Lampson and associate Chris Parker prevailed in a lawsuit filed in Clark County District court by obtaining an order granting summary judgment in favor of their client. The plaintiff sustained injuries after falling from a retaining wall on the developer’s property. Lampson and Parker moved for summary judgment, arguing the wall was not in an unreasonably dangerous condition. The trial court agreed and entered summary judgment in the developer’s favor, disposing of plaintiff’s claim in its entirety.
- Court grants motion to dismiss owner of construction company from construction defect action: The plaintiff property management company sued the defendant construction company for alleged defects and damage to two commercial properties in Douglas County. Plaintiff also sued the owner of the construction company in his individual capacity, seeking damages for breach of contract and attorney fees. Elizabeth Lampson and associate Chris Parker filed a motion to dismiss the owner, arguing he was not a party to the construction agreement and could not be personally liable for the alleged defects and damage to the properties. The trial court agreed and dismissed the claim against the owner in its entirety.
- Court of Appeals Affirms Summary Judgment in favor of Subcontractor: Elizabeth Lampson and associate Jonathan Henderson successfully maintained a defense victory at the Oregon Court of Appeals for the firm’s excavation subcontractor client. The general contractor plaintiff sought nearly $200,000 in damages for alleged improper excavation at a residential subdivision property in Southern Oregon and argued on appeal that a dispositive defense summary judgment in favor of our client should be overturned. At issue was the trigger of the two-year statute of limitations for negligence. The court of appeals issued an Order Affirming Without Opinion the trial court ruling in favor of the client.
- Dispositive summary judgment granted for subcontractor against general contractor: Elizabeth Lampson prevailed in Washington County Circuit Court in obtaining a summary judgment in favor of her subcontractor defendant against all claims filed against it by the general contractor, including negligence, indemnity, and contribution. Liz’s client was the EIFS installer at a single family residence. Liz was assisted at the hearing by appellate law associate, Jonathan Henderson.
Oregon Court of Appeals
- Nancy Doty, Inc. v. WildCat Haven, Inc., 297 Or App 95, __ P3d __ (2019) (affirming trial court decision dismissing claims against an officer and employee of decedent’s employer on the ground that they were immune from suit under the Workers’ Compensation exclusive remedy statute)
- Gilbert v. Stancorp Fin. Grp., Inc., 233 Or App 57, 225 P3d 71 (2009) (affirming the trial court order setting aside a default judgment plaintiff’s attorney took while negotiating with the adjuster)
- 126 NW Native Run Joint Venture v. City of Grants Pass, 247 Or App 354, 271 P3d 154 (2011) (affirming the trial court judgment dismissing the claims as barred by the statute of limitations on a construction defect claim)
- Capitol Specialty Ins. Corp. v. Chan & Lui, Inc., 248 Or App 674, 274 P3d 238 (2012) (affirming the trial court order on summary judgment dismissing claim against the insurer on a claim relating to insurance coverage regarding wrongful death Dram Shop claim)
- Amberglen v. Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects, Inc., 249 Or App 333, 278 P3d 141 (2012) (affirming trial court order dismissing the case by enforcing as-is provision in construction contract and ruling that claims are barred by the statute of limitations on construction defect claims)
- Sunset Presbyterian Church v. Brockamp & Jaeger, Inc., 254 Or App 24, 295 P3d 62 (2012) (reversing trial court judgment that found that the claims were barred by the statute of repose on construction defect claims)
- Classen v. Arete NW, LLC, 254 Or App 216, 294 P3d 520 (2012) (reversing trial court order dismissing plaintiff’s claims for spoliation of evidence, finding that while Oregon does not recognize the claim, there are claims that plaintiff should have been allowed to plead)
- PIH Beaverton, LLC v. Super One, Inc., 254 Or App 486, 294 P3d 536 (2013) (Affirming dismissal of third party claim for indemnity as barred by the statute of repose in a construction defect case)
- Goodwin v. Kingsmen Plastering, Inc., 267 Or App 506, 340 P3d 169 (2014) (reversing trial court judgment dismissing plaintiff’s construction defect claims as barred by the statute of limitations)
- Riverview Condo. Ass’n v. Cypress Ventures, Inc., 266 Or App 612, 338 P3d 755 (2014) (reversing trial court judgment dismissing plaintiff’s construction defect claims as barred by the statute of limitations)
- Chapman v. Mayfield, 263 Or App 528, 329 P3d 12 (2014) (Affirming trial court dismissal of negligence claim on the grounds that plaintiff could not establish foreseeability of a unprovoked shooting attack in a Dram Shop case)
- Liberty Oaks Homeowners Ass’n v. Liberty Oaks, Ltd. Liab. Co., 267 Or App 401, 341 P3d 109 (2014) (affirming trial court dismissal of a construction defect lawsuit on the grounds of mootness, justiciability and statute of limitations)
- Masood v. Safeco Ins. Co., 275 Or App 315, 365 P3d 540 (2015) (affirming dismissal of claims against a captive insurance agent on the grounds that claim is barred by the economic loss doctrine)
- Knappenberger v. Davis-Stanton, 271 Or App 14, 351 P3d 54 (2015) (reversing trial court decision granting JNOV to defendant and finding that the defendant had not adequately established a Dormant Commerce clause challenge to Oregon’s statute of limitations tolling statute)
- Piazza v. Kellim, 271 Or App 490, 354 P3d 698 (2015) (Reversing trial court judgment dismissing wrongful death claim arising out of an unprovoked shooting attack in downtown Portland by finding that the plaintiff had adequately alleged the attack was foreseeable)
- Jones v. Randle, 278 Or App 39, 373 P3d 1186 (2016) (reversing trial court decision dismissing plaintiff’s claims on the grounds that plaintiff was judicially estopped from asserting claim)
- Vasquez v. Double Press Mfg., 278 Or App 77, 372 P3d 605 (2016) (affirming trial court order denying motion to apply Oregon’s statutory noneconomic damages cap because it violates the Remedy Clause in the Oregon Constitution)
- Vasquez v. Double Press Mfg., 288 Or App 503, 406 P3d 225 (2017) (affirming trial court order denying motion to apply Oregon’s statutory noneconomic damages cap because it violates the Remedy Clause in the Oregon Constitution)
- Wilda v. Roe, 290 Or App 599, 415 P3d 1146 (2018) (Reversing trial court judgment dismissing third party contribution claim against tavern by holding that Oregon’s statutory Dram Shop Act requirements do not apply to a third party contribution claim against the tavern by the intoxicated driver)
- Eugene Water & Elec. Bd. v. MWH Ams., Inc., 293 Or App 41, 426 P3d 142 (2018) (affirming trial court order declining to enforce an arbitration agreement in a construction contract)
- Oregon Supreme Court
- Chapman v. Mayfield, 358 Or 196, 361 P3d 566 (2015) (affirming the Court of Appeals and the trial court’s dismissal of a negligence claim for lack of foreseeability)
- Goodwin v. Kingsmen Plastering, Inc., 359 Or 694, 375 P3d 463 (2016) (overruling two Court of Appeals decisions and declaring that negligent construction claims are subject to a two-year and not a six-year statute of limitations in Oregon)
- Piazza v. Kellim, 360 Or 58, 377 P3d 492 (2016) (reversing the trial court’s dismissal of a negligence claim by finding that plaintiff had adequately alleged that a random, unprovoked spree shooting in downtown Portland was foreseeable)
- Washington Court of Appeals
- Walla Walla Coll. v. Ohio Cas. Ins. Co., 149 Wash App 726, 204 P3d 961 (2009) (affirming summary judgment in favor of insurer regarding a pollution exclusion in the policy)
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- All were unpublished decisions, so they do not show up on Lexis.
- Rother v. Lupenko, et al., Nos. 11-35922, 11-35953 (April 12, 2013) (attorney fee dispute following a trial in an employment wage and hour dispute)
- Rother v, Lupenko, et al., No. 14-35771 (May 18, 2017) (attorney fee dispute following a trial in an employment wage and hour dispute)
- Alkemade v. Quanta Indemnity, et al., No. 14-35605 (April 20, 2017) (reversing trial court judgment granting summary judgment in favor of insurer in insurance dispute regarding preexisting property damage exclusion)
