Appellate Litigation

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt's appellate lawyers stand apart for their exceptional analytical, writing, and oral advocacy skills. Our appellate group includes a former justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, experienced appellate specialists, and former judicial clerks for appellate courts. Together, our appellate lawyers enjoy a unique depth of experience, and they use their experience and skills to obtain outstanding results.

Overview of SWW's Appellate Practice Group
Schwabe's appellate practice group is a core part of our litigation services. We have handled significant appeals in a broad range of different areas of law, including antitrust, arbitration, bankruptcy, products liability, commercial, labor and employment, environmental, land use, intellectual property, trust and estate, and state and federal constitutional law. Our appellate lawyers regularly appear in the Ninth Circuit, the state appellate courts of Oregon and Washington, as well as appellate courts in other jurisdictions. In recent years, we also have authored successful petitions for writs of certiorari and winning merits briefs before the United States Supreme Court, including the petitions and merits briefs in Hall St. Assocs., LLC v. Mattel, Inc., 552 U.S. 576 (2008), and Rent-A-Center, Inc. v. Jackson, 130 S. Ct. 2772 (2010).

Our extensive experience in appellate litigation provides us with keen insights and invaluable knowledge for presenting cases on appeal. Our appellate lawyers are effective legal writers and oral advocates, skilled at framing the critical legal issues and making persuasive arguments. Our appellate lawyers also regularly file amicus curiae briefs to represent specific clients and client industry interests in pending appeals, as well as to provide guidance to federal and state courts on important or novel issues of law.

In addition to representing parties on appeal, our appellate lawyers commonly assist in cases before the trial courts. We add valuable perspective to trial attorneys, offering advice in briefing key legal issues, formulating strategies, and identifying legal theories in anticipation of possible appeals. For cases that proceed to trial, we assist our trial lawyers with perfecting the record for potential appeals and in crafting effective arguments.

Our appellate lawyers are active in their communities. We serve in professional organizations for appellate practitioners, and we regularly participate in appellate conferences and events. We also devote significant time to pro bono legal representation, serving as volunteer attorneys for both the Ninth Circuit's Pro Bono Program and the Oregon Appellate Pro Bono Program.