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Attorney at Law, P.C.

BLAIR TOWNSEND

Attorney at Law

About

From an early age, Blair knew she wanted to be a lawyer. Her grandfather was an attorney in a small Texas town so impoverished that he often got paid by his clients in chickens and home-baked pies. From him and others, she learned that trial lawyers are often the voice of those who otherwise would not be heard–that there is no other profession that can level the playing field in fights against corporate and insurance giants like a trial lawyer.

 

“The greatest part of my job?  Easily the clients.  When I first meet a potential client, I always tell them that it is a relationship we are forming. At the end of the day, no case and no client is the same.  My job is to advocate my client’s experience, and communication and understanding is the only way to do my job well.  I am ultimately there to shepherd them through (often) the worst experience of their lives. It is an honor and responsibility I do not take lightly.”

 

After graduating from the University of Texas Law School in 2010, Blair fell in love with the mountains, forests and rivers of the Pacific Northwest, moved to Portland, Oregon and started working as an associate at Wise & Associates where she ultimately became partner in 2018, forming Wise & Townsend, P.C. 

"The greatest part of my job? Easily the clients. When I first meet a potential client, I always tell them that it is a relationship we are forming."

In 2023, Blair started a new adventure and formed The Townsend Law Firm, LLC. “Clients deserve to have their cases pushed aggressively and efficiently. As the saying goes, our clients want to recover the maximum for their injures…yesterday. While most clients would prefer not to go to trial, I believe the best way to ensure the best result for my clients is to treat every case as if it is going to trial. That means organization, strategy, doggedness and an evolving understanding between myself and the client regarding expectations and value. If it does not go to trial, that means the defendant offered us enough to escape a jury trial, NOT that we accepted less out of fear of a trial.”

 

Blair is this year’s President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and in 2018, was awarded the Best New Lawyer award for attorneys practicing ten years or less. Blair also enjoys engaging with her professional community, serving on several committees for the Oregon State Bar, lecturing at Oregon law schools and legal events, and coaching at De La Salle North Catholic High School for the We The People constitutional law competition.

 

When she’s not in the courtroom or her law office, Blair spends much of her time exploring all that Oregon and the Pacific Northwest (and the world) has to offer.  This includes culinary and beer/wine country adventures, sporting events such as the Timbers, Thorns and Trailblazers, camping, fishing, concerts and theater. Additionally, Blair is an avid reader and dog (“Fozzie”) fan.​​

Memberships & Interests

  • Immediate Past President, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (2023-2024)

  • President, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (2022-2023)

  • American Association for Justice, Council of Presidents (2021-2024)

  • Mentor, Oregon State Bar New Lawyer Mentoring Program (2022)

  • Member, Standard Setting Task Force of the Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners (2021)

  • Chair, Women’s Caucus, OTLA (2015-2021)

  • Member, PAC Board, OTLA (2020 – present)

  • Member, Oregon State Bar Uniform Civil Jury Instruction Committee (2018-2021)

  • Delegate, Oregon State Bar House of Delegates (2018-2021)

  • Legal Mentor, Lewis & Clark Law School (2018 – present)

  • Graduate, Emerge (2017)

  • Oregon State Bar

  • Washington State Bar

  • American Bar Association

  • Multnomah Bar Association

  • Clackamas Bar Association

  • U.S. District Court–Oregon

  • American Constitution Society

  • Ambassador Board Member and Student Engagement Chair, De La Salle North Catholic High School

  • Multnomah Athletic Club

Recent Lectures, CLEs & Writings

  • Presenter, Best Practices Dealing with Obstreperous Opposing Counsel (2024)

  • Presenter, The Business of Residential Care Facilities: How Their Bottom Line Creates Substandard Care (2024)

  • Presenter, Women in Law Series: Identity and Power (2023)

  • Author, Empathy and Communication Skills in Client Intakes, Trial Lawyer Magazine (2023)

  • Presenter, The Basics of an Underinsured Motor (UIM) Case, National Business Institute (2023)

  • Author, The Importance of Legislation in Protecting our Current and Future Clients, Trial Lawyer Magazine (2023)

  • Presenter, Taking an Underinsured Motorist Case Through Litigation, National Business Institute (2023)

  • Moderator, Multnomah County Judges Panel on Professionalism (2022)

  • Author, Finding Your Purpose in the Practice of Law: The Five-Cent Screw versus the Eight-Cent Screw (2022)

  • Moderator, Civil Litigation in the Time of Covid (2022)

  • Author and Presenter, Discovery: Motions to Compel, Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (2022)

  • Presenter, Equity in Action, Emerge (2021)

  • Presenter, Practical Trial Skills: Presenting To Court and Making Opening Statements, Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (2021)

  • Presenter, Women’s Caucus of Lewis and Clark Law School (2021)

  • Member, Standard Setting Task Force of the Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners (2021)

  • Author, How to Structure Your Law Firm: Business Entity Selection, Trial Lawyer Magazine (2020)

  • Presenter, Litigating Complex Cases Back-to-Back, OTLA (2019)

  • Presenter, Discovery Disputes, Multnomah Bar Association (2019)

  • Presenter, How to Litigate Wrongful Death Cases, OTLA (2019)

  • Judge, Final Round of Mock Trial Competition, We The People (2019)

  • Author, Engaging With Your Community, Emerge, Trial Lawyer Magazine (2019)

  • Presenter, Wrongful Death Litigation: Start-to-Finish, National Business Institute (2018)

  • Presenter, Persuasion and Advocacy, Willamette Law School (2018)

  • Presenter, Communication and Advocating for Yourself, De La Salle North Catholic High School (2018)

  • Presenter, Litigation versus Transactional Practice series (2018)

  • Presenter, Specific Jurisdiction in the Ninth Circuit under Oregon’s Long-Arm Statute ORCP 4L (2017)

  • Presenter, How to Prepare your Client for Deposition (2017)

  • Author, How to Prepare Your Client For Deposition, Trial Lawyer Magazine (2017)

  • LinkedIn
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