Nancy M. Erfle
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503-796-2497 Direct nerfle@schwabe.com
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Professional Experience Ms. Erfle is the chair of the firm's Products Liability Litigation Group and currently sits on the firm's Chairs Counsel. Since joining the firm in 1990, she has focused her practice on litigation, specifically on the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, automotive manufacturers, agricultural chemical manufacturers, aviation manufacturers, as well as companies involved in business disputes. Ms. Erfle has served on national litigation teams and as Lead Local and Regional Counsel for both her pharmaceutical and automotive clients on many cases, including several mass tort cases. She has extensive state and federal court jury trial experience defending her clients in all types of product liability and business disputes. Ms. Erfle has also tried two major hospital antitrust matters to successful verdicts for her clients.
Ms. Erfle served on the faculty of the International Association of Defense Counsel's 2007 Trial Academy, held at Stanford University Law School. She also serves as an adjunct professor for Lewis & Clark Law School's aviation seminar.
In 2012, Ms. Erfle was named one of the Top 250 Women in American Litigation by Benchmark Litigation. In 2004, she was selected as a recipient of The Portland Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" Award, an honor which recognizes the 40 most accomplished, influential, and civic-minded young executives in Portland. Since 2006, Ms. Erfle has been named an Oregon "Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics magazine, a peer-elected distinction bestowed upon only the top 5 percent of all attorneys in the state of Oregon. In 2007, she was named one of the "100 Most Powerful Women" by Northwest Women's Journal. Ms. Erfle has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010 for her work in Product Liability Litigation and named an Oregon Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation. Professional & Community Activities Ms. Erfle is a sustaining member of the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), and the Defense Research Institute. She is currently a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel's Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Litigation section for the American Bar Association, the Oregon, Washington and Montana State Bars, and Oregon Association of Defense Counsel. She is a past member of the Oregon Board of Bar Examiners and the past President of the Young Lawyers Section of the Multnomah Bar Association. Ms. Erfle is also a past member of the Young Lawyers Section Pro-Bono Committee and the Volunteer Lawyers Project Board of Directors.
While enrolled at Rocky Mountain College, Ms. Erfle served as President of the Associated Students and received the President's Cup as the outstanding graduate, as well as the Dean's Cup (co-valedictorian).
Recent Presentations & Lectures • "Oregon Trial Practice: Emerging Trends and Multi-Jurisdictional Disputes," Oregon State Bar Products Liability, Litigation and Aviation Sections, Portland, OR - October 5, 2012 • "Trial and Jury Strategy: Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Your Advantage When Gearing Up for an Auto Products Liability Trial," American Conference Institute Auto Product Liability Conference, Chicago, IL - June 26-27, 2012 • "The Increased use of the Event Data Recorder (EDR) at Trial: Determining Whether the Data Will Have an Impact on Your Defense," American Conference Institute Auto Product Liability Conference, Chicago, IL – October 29-30, 2008 • "Electronic Data recorders: Learning to Live With Them," American Bar Association 2007 Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Products Liability Litigation, Phoenix, AZ – March 29-30, 2007 Admitted to Practice Oregon State Courts Washington State Courts Montana State Courts United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit United States District Court, District of Oregon United States District Court, Western District of Washington United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington United States District Court, District of Montana
Education Willamette University College of Law, Juris Doctor degree, cum laude (1990) Rocky Mountain College, Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude (1987)
Articles
Why Courts Should Exclude Warning, "Untitled," and Advisory Letters, December 26, 2012
Learning to Live With Electronic Data Recorders, November 4, 2008
Chinese Products, American Lawsuits: Where Do We Go From Here?, October 11, 2007
HIPAA and Ex Parte Physician Contact: Procedural Hurdles, April 12, 2006
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