George Pitcher, managing partner and founder of the firm’s Portland, Oregon, office, focuses his practice on product liability, professional liability and commercial litigation. He serves as national and local counsel to defendants in product liability litigation.

George has tried cases in Oregon and Washington courts and argued cases before the Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals. His cases at the Oregon Supreme Court have resulted in published opinions on issues of first impression in Oregon tort law, including the standard for bringing a claim for punitive damages and the viability of “loss of chance” medical malpractice claims in Oregon.

Cases George has tried to verdict include legal malpractice, medical malpractice, asbestos, professional liability, employment discrimination, breach of warranty, lemon law, commercial disputes, and breach of contract.

George served as the president of the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel in 2019, following a six-year term on the OADC board of directors. George is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Significant Tort Cases
George has been involved in some of the most significant tort cases in the Northwest over the past 15 years.

  • Represented an insurance agent in the Masood insurance fraud case in 2011 that resulted in the trial court entering a $10 million judgment against the plaintiff following a nine-week trial in Clackamas County
  • The Emrick asbestos case that resulted in a defense verdict following a 14-week trial in Multnomah County
  • The Barabin case where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014 vacated a multimillion-dollar judgment based on the trial court’s failure to hold a pre-trialDaubert hearing
  • The Bolt v. Influence case in which the Oregon Supreme Court announced the legal standard for presenting sufficient evidence to plead a claim for punitive damages
  • The Smith v. Providence case where the Oregon Supreme Court addressed “loss of chance” medical malpractice claims for the first time
  • Mason v. General Electric, 226 Or. App. 392, 203 P.3d 329 (2009) resulted in an opinion by the Oregon Court of Appeals that essentially ended premises liability asbestos litigation in Oregon.

Areas of Focus

Personal Injury
George has defended numerous cases involving claims of significant personal injury such as paraplegia, amputations, wrongful death, cancer, brain injury, sexual assault and severe burns.

Product Liability
George has represented manufacturers in product liability cases involving ATV rollovers, farm equipment, toys, household appliances, medical devices, class-8 trucks and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Professional Liability
George regularly represents insurance agents, real estate agents, lawyers, medical professionals, architects and engineers. He represents professionals in professional liability claims and before various licensing agencies. George has been asked to speak to groups of medical professionals, insurance agents, lawyers and home inspectors regarding risk management and strategies for defending professional liability claims.

    Education

    • Willamette University College of Law (J.D., with honors, 1996)
      • Associate Editor, Willamette Law Review
    • Harding University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1992)

    Bar Admissions

    • Oregon
    • Washington

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
    • Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, President, 2019; Board of Directors, 2013–2018
    • DRI: The Voice of the Defense Bar
    • Multnomah County Bar Association

    Awards & Honors

    • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025-2026
    • Best Lawyers in America® Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants, 2023–2024

George Pitcher

George Pitcher, managing partner and founder of the firm’s Portland, Oregon, office, focuses his practice on product liability, professional liability and commercial litigation. He serves as national and local counsel to defendants in product liability litigation.

George has tried cases in Oregon and Washington courts and argued cases before the Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals. His cases at the Oregon Supreme Court have resulted in published opinions on issues of first impression in Oregon tort law, including the standard for bringing a claim for punitive damages and the viability of “loss of chance” medical malpractice claims in Oregon.

Cases George has tried to verdict include legal malpractice, medical malpractice, asbestos, professional liability, employment discrimination, breach of warranty, lemon law, commercial disputes, and breach of contract.

George served as the president of the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel in 2019, following a six-year term on the OADC board of directors. George is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Significant Tort Cases
George has been involved in some of the most significant tort cases in the Northwest over the past 15 years.

  • Represented an insurance agent in the Masood insurance fraud case in 2011 that resulted in the trial court entering a $10 million judgment against the plaintiff following a nine-week trial in Clackamas County
  • The Emrick asbestos case that resulted in a defense verdict following a 14-week trial in Multnomah County
  • The Barabin case where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014 vacated a multimillion-dollar judgment based on the trial court’s failure to hold a pre-trialDaubert hearing
  • The Bolt v. Influence case in which the Oregon Supreme Court announced the legal standard for presenting sufficient evidence to plead a claim for punitive damages
  • The Smith v. Providence case where the Oregon Supreme Court addressed “loss of chance” medical malpractice claims for the first time
  • Mason v. General Electric, 226 Or. App. 392, 203 P.3d 329 (2009) resulted in an opinion by the Oregon Court of Appeals that essentially ended premises liability asbestos litigation in Oregon.

George Pitcher

Pitcher and Golosinskiy Obtain Spoliation Dismissal on Behalf of Truck Manufacturer in Oregon Federal Court

Portland, Oregon, partners George S. Pitcher and Dmitriy S. Golosinskiy prevailed on a motion to dismiss on behalf of a major U.S. truck manufacturer due to plaintiffs’ spoliation of evidence. The plaintiffs, operating a client-manufactured truck owned by their employer, were hospitalized after rear-ending a stopped tractor-trailer. After the collision, they emailed their employer, stating they had retained a lawyer, demanding preservation of the vehicle, and threatening to seek spoliation sanctions if it was lost or destroyed. The plaintiffs’ experts inspected the vehicle and identified components to be preserved. The employer sold the truck, which our client did not have an opportunity to inspect. The court found “culpability” on behalf of plaintiffs for their failure to notify our client and provide it with an opportunity to inspect the truck. The court acknowledged that a duty to preserve evidence applied even though the truck was not “directly” within plaintiff’s custody or control. After considering all the factors, including less drastic sanctions, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon agreed with George and Dmitriy that dismissal was warranted, given the prejudice to our client and its inability to inspect the truck that plaintiffs claimed was defective.

George Pitcher and Dmitriy Golosinskiy

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