James M. Hillas, Partner

Jim is a litigation partner at Dunn Carney. He represents businesses and individuals in state and federal court and in numerous arbitration and mediation forums. His broad experience with business disputes, construction litigation, employment matters and business tort claims allows him to find creative solutions to litigation problems. Jim brings a common sense perspective to his clients and works proactively to resolve disputes quickly and economically, often through alternative dispute processes.

Before attending law school, Jim worked as a newspaper reporter for three years in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Bar Admissions:

• Oregon, 1994
• U.S. District Court District of Oregon, 1998
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1998

Education:

• Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon
  Law Review: Member, Environmental Law, 1992 - 1993
  Law Review: Student Materials Editor, Environmental Law, 1993 - 1994
• Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, January, 1989
  B.A.,  Journalism
• Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Published Works:

• "Written Contracts Save Time, Money and Aggravation," The Daily Journal of Commerce, Feb. 28, 2003
• "What you don't know can hurt you: Eight Ways to Limit Your Liability on Construction Jobs,"  The Daily Journal of Commerce, Dec. 13, 2004 and Bancorp Insurance Agency Newsletter, June/July 2005 issue. Link to article
• "Document Retention: What Every Business Needs to Know,"  Dunn Carney E-News, Jan. 2006
• "The Event's Off: Negotiating Hotel Cancellation Clauses," The Business Journal of Portland,  March 31, 2006.  Link to article
• "How to Avoid Piercing the Corporate Veil,"  Dunn Carney E-News, April 2006
• "How to Protect the Business Traveler's Expensive Electronics," The Business Journal of Portland, June 9, 2006.

Representative Clients:

• Brasher's Cascade Auto Auction, Inc.
• West Coast Container, Inc.
• Lazy HW, Inc.
• Diron Construction
• Westview Construction, Inc.

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Adjunct Faculty, Construction Law, Portland Community College, 2002 - Present

Honors and Awards:

• National Registry of Who's Who, 2000 - Present

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Oregon State Bar Association, Member
• Multnomah Bar Association, Member
• Federal Bar Association, Member
• Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, Member
• University Club, Member
• Pinnacle Condominiums Owners Association, Board of Directors
• YMCA Annual Campaign, 1996 - Present