Areas of Expertise

Profile

Adam S. Heder is a personal injury trial attorney. He represents families and individuals who, through no fault of their own, have suffered life-altering injuries. In just the last five years, Adam has recovered over $11 million in compensation for his clients.

Adam represents any injured person, ranging from motor vehicle collisions to workplace and school yard incidents, and to any other type of injury. He specializes, however, in representing tenants and homeowners who have suffered from long term exposure to indoor mold, microbial contaminants, mycotoxins, and volatile organic compounds. Tenants often go months or years living in contaminated conditions without knowing it, only to realize later that they have been paying rent for a living space that threatens their physical health on a daily basis. Without knowing the basic medical consequences of living in such contaminated spaces, tenants often feel there are no options for them and don’t know where to turn for help. Adam has successfully guided his clients through these frustrating and scary situations countless times. He has prevailed in these cases at every level: at trial, on appeal, in arbitration, and through settlement during the discovery phase of litigation.

There is little Adam relishes more than being in a courtroom arguing his case. Prior to starting private practice, Adam spent a year clerking for Judge N. Randy Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where he briefed complex legal matters at the highest levels.

In his free time, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife and five children, backpacking, running, biking, swimming in the mountains, and collecting comic books.

Representative Work

  • Darin and Natalie Rowden, et al. v. Hogan Woods, LLC, Multnomah County, Case No. 15CV09483 — Adam represented a family of 6 through an appeal and 2 week trial. He obtained a verdict of over $3.5 MM on behalf of the family, representing among the largest verdicts of its kind in state history.
  • Sparrow Fund Management, LP v. MiMedx Group, Inc., Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, Case No: 1:18-cv-04921 — Adam represented a hedge fund in a lawsuit against a large public, biomedical company for malicious prosecution and defamation. Adam defeated numerous dispositive motions and discovery attacks and, after nearly four years, guided the case to successful settlement.
  • Miller v. Sawyer & Sons, LLC, et al., Federal District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No: 3:20-CV-378 — Adam represented a young woman rear ended by a construction truck carrying nearly 50 tons of material, resulting in significant cognitive and neurological damage. Through extensive discovery and motions practice, Adam reached favorable settlement terms for his client.
  • Nelson, et al. v. Essex Management Corp., et al., King County, Washington, Case No. 20-2-10308-0 — Adam represented a young family that unknowingly lived in a water damaged apartment building that resulted in permanent, debilitating injury. After prevailing on several crucial pre-trial motions, Adam guided the case to successful settlement and resolution.
  • Construction Defect/Indoor Air Quality — In private arbitration, Adam represented homeowners against a home builder/seller that delivered a home that did not properly ventilate formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds. At the hearing, Adam’s clients were awarded every dollar they requested.

Professional Experience

  • JurisLaw LLP (fka Harris Berne Christensen, LLP) (Lake Oswego, OR), Attorney, 2017–present
  • Stewart Sokol & Larkin, LLC (Portland, OR), Attorney, 2014–2016
  • Paul Hastings LLP (Palo Alto, CA), Attorney, 2010–2014
  • United States Court of Appeals, Judicial Clerk, 2009–2010

Admissions

  • Oregon State Bar, 2015
  • California State Bar, 2010
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2010
  • U.S. District Court, Oregon, 2015
  • U.S. District Court, Northern California, 2011

Education

  • J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, J.D., 2009, Order of the Coif, magnum cum laude, Editorial Board of International Law and Management Review, Recipient of Hugh B. Brown Barristers Award for academic excellence, top 10 best Oralist at 2009 ABA Regional Moot Court Competition
  • Brigham Young University, B.A., 2006, Cum laude, academic scholarship recipient

Publications

  • “Recantations Reconsidered: A New Framework for Righting Wrongful Convictions,” Utah Law Review Volume 2012, Number 1, co-author with Professor Michael Goldsmith
  • “The Power to End War: The Extent and Limits of Congressional Power,” 41 St. Mary’s Law Journal 445 (2010)