New York – September 4, 2025 – National law firm Wilson Elser announced today that six attorneys have joined its Portland, Oregon, office.
Peder Rigsby joins as a partner and John Carley as of counsel,
along with four associates, as members of the firm's Complex
Tort & General Casualty and Commercial Litigation
practices.
Established in 2023, the Portland office is one of the fastest
growing in the firm's national network – in July, Wilson
Elser added an eight-attorney lateral team with a focus on
insurance coverage and extra-contractual litigation matters.
"I was honored to be asked to establish this office, and
it's rewarding to see how quickly it has grown," said
George Pitcher, Portland's Regional Managing Partner.
"Client demand continues to rise, and we've responded by
expanding our team with multiple rounds of lateral hires."
Rigsby said the firm is a good fit for his current practice. "Wilson Elser provides a national platform with name recognition. This is an exciting opportunity that will benefit Wilson Elser and my current clients."
Rigsby defends businesses, entities, and individuals facing complex casualty and commercial litigation in state and federal courts in Oregon and Washington. He has built a strong practice defending clients in litigation involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury, professional malpractice, employment issues, product liability, and multi-party construction defects.
Carley defends clients in complex civil litigation matters primarily involving personal and catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims related to premises or product liability. He also brings significant experience assisting with construction defect and eminent domain cases.
David Schor, Mark Firmin, Makenzie Kaiser, and Sean McKean join as associates.
All six attorneys formerly practiced at a regional litigation firm with offices in Portland.