About Tim
In 1976, Tim Vanagas graduated from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College and immediately began making his presence known in Oregon legal circles. After working two years as an associate attorney in a small general practice law firm, Mr. Vanagas established his own firm in 1979. Since then, he has served Oregon residents, in state and federal courts, in a wide variety of legal matters, several of which have been the subject of substantial media attention. One matter, Holien v. Sears, Roebuck, was likely the state’s first sexual harassment claim and a case that was ultimately resolved by the Oregon Supreme Court. Later, Mr. Vanagas had the pleasure of representing the State of Oregon in P.G.E. v. B.O.L.I., the most frequently cited case in Oregon history. He also appeared in the Deschutes County Circuit Court in the Sisters, Oregon matter involving 70 or more of the severely handicapped children that Dennis and Diane Nason adopted as “The Celebration Family.” More recently, a front page Oregonian article wrote about Mr. Vanagas and lawsuits he filed personally to stop, and recover damages for, unsolicited fax transmissions. Before limiting his practice to injury and malpractice matters, Mr. Vanagas also appeared of counsel for the defendant in New York City in the dramatic murder case of political insider and former U.S. Congressman, Allard Lowenstein. Murdered in Rockefeller Center by a schizophrenic protege, the story of Mr. Lowenstein’s murder was told in a Pulitzer Prize winning article in the Village Voice Magazine called, “From Heroism to Madness.”
In order to better advocate for his clients, Mr. Vanagas norm is to handle all matters personally, from intake through appeal. He takes joy in “taking on” large corporations. He was once profiled in the Gresham Outlook newspaper under the headline “Defender of Little People.” He has successfully prosecuted claims against the State of Oregon, Sears, Roebuck, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Multnomah County, Burlington Northern Railroad, Tri-Met, Rite-Aid, Emanuel Hospital, OHSU, Costco, Portland General Electric, KGW-T.V. and most major insurance companies, amongst many, many others. While past results are not a guarantee of future success, they provide insight into the breadth of Mr. Vanagas experience in important and complex matters. Therefore, you are encouraged to take time to review the “Case Results” portion of this web-page where a brief summary of many of Mr. Vanagas’ cases appear.
Mr. Vanagas has appeared as an invited guest on the television program Town Hall Tonight and been a featured speaker at numerous continuing legal education seminars. Lawyers frequently refer cases to him because of his experience, expertise and familiarity with medical issues. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, is a member of the Oregon State Bar, and a member of the Multnomah County, Oregon Trial Lawyers and American Trial Lawyer associations. He cares deeply about his clients and is committed to aggressively protecting their rights.