Putting the Golden Rule to use
Nicole Rhoades has been a litigator all of her career. She has tried and arbitrated numerous cases in Oregon and Washington ranging in value from a few thousand dollars to more than twenty million dollars. She has also resolved more than a hundred cases through motion practice.
Her personal approach to her job is to work hard, be creative, and treat others as she would like to be treated. She appreciates the collegial work environment offered by Davis Rothwell and being surrounded by ethical, hardworking lawyers.
When not at the office you can find Nicole spending time with family and friends, kayaking, and enjoying all things related to the arts.
- Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
- Multnomah County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Claims & Litigation Management Alliance member
- Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation Board (former board member)
- Queen’s Bench Board (former board member)
- Community Law Week Volunteer, Veterans’ Hospital
- Selected for inclusion on the Oregon Super Lawyers® Rising Stars List
- Authored The Claims & Litigation Management Alliance’s (CLM’s) Oregon Law Summary, aka the “Claims Handling Resource Guide“
- CLM Professional Liability Committee member (2013-present)
- National Youth Protection Symposium (2013; 2016; 2017)
- President and founding member: CLM Oregon Chapter (2014-present)
- Speaker at CLM Professional Liability & eDiscovery Conference: Developments in Employment Practices: What Now? (2014)
- Speaker at CLM Pacific Northwest Conference: Diversity in the Pacific Northwest: Impacts on Claims, Settlements and Trial (2015)
- Speaker at CLM Annual Conference: Diversity Considerations in Case Handling (2015)
- Speaker at CLM Pacific Northwest Conference: Reptile Theory (2016)
- Speaker at CLM Professional Liability Conference: Religious Freedom and Expression in Employment (2016)
Employment
- Dismissal of employment claim: Sexual orientation discrimination
- Motion for summary judgment granted: Age discrimination
- Dismissal of employment claims: Race discrimination/sexual harassment/whistleblowing/retaliation
- Dismissal of claims: Intentional interference with economic relations/”aiding and abetting”/retaliation for taking leave protected by the Oregon Family Leave Act
- Dismissal of employment claims: Sexual harassment/retaliation
- Dismissal of employment claims: Retaliation/whistleblowing
- Dismissal of employment claim: Retaliation
- Dismissal of employment claim: Harassment/retaliation
- Dismissal of employment claims: Sexual harassment/retaliation
- Race discrimination claim: Settled for nuisance value
Medical Malpractice/Medical Intensive Cases
- Week-long trial of neck injury/surgery case results in verdict over $900,000 less than plaintiff’s last demand
- Dismissal: Department of Health complaint against therapist
- Dismissal: Nursing board complaint
- Dismissal: $2.5 million medical malpractice/wrongful death case
- Defense verdict: Brain injury/personal injury claim
- Dismissal: Nursing board complaint
- Dismissal: Department of Health complaint against physician
- Medical malpractice/wrongful death/sexual assault claims: Settled for nuisance value
- Medical malpractice/wrongful death: Settled for nuisance value
- Medical negligence/sexual battery: Settled for nuisance value
- Medical malpractice/wrongful death claims: Dismissed on motion for summary judgment
- Dismissal: Department of Health complaint against physician
Sex Abuse/Vulnerable Person Claims
- Dismissal: $1 million sex abuse/negligence case
- Pending motion for summary judgment in sex abuse case results in nuisance value settlement
- Six-week sex abuse trial: Insured found only 15 percent liable and no punitive damages awarded
- Motion for summary judgment granted: Abuse of vulnerable person claims/negligent supervision and retention
- Sex abuse case: Settled for nuisance value
- Abuse of vulnerable person claim: Defense analysis lead to no contribution being offered toward settlement by carrier and no suit filed against insured
Liquor Liability/Professional Liability/Product Liability
- Affirmance in Oregon Supreme Court on liquor liability claims
- Dismissal: $8 million personal injury/negligence case
- Motion for summary judgment granted: $10 million liquor liability case
- Attorney malpractice pre-suit claims: Work resulted in no suit filed and no settlement paid
- Spoliation of evidence sanction against plaintiff in products liability case leads to nuisance value settlement
- Defense verdict: Personal injury arbitration
- Punitive damages motion for summary judgment granted
- Product liability claim: Settled for nuisance value
- 2009 Oregon Super Lawyers® Rising Stars
