Career
Jim McDermott is a commercial business litigator and trial lawyer who represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex cases. Throughout his 40-year career, Jim has tried scores of cases and argued appeals in federal and state courts throughout the country on a broad range of issues for nationally known public and private companies, small businesses, and individuals.
Chambers USA has recognized Jim for two decades as an industry leader, with clients and peers highlighting his "tremendous presence in court," along with his "forceful stance and impressive technical skills." They have also called him a "very impressive lawyer" with an "extremely responsive, client-focused litigation management approach" who provides "smart advice that is always on the money," and he is "on top of his game when it comes to strategy." Chambers USA has also praised Jim as "a mind-reader of the judge with a strong understanding of how a judge will tackle the issue."
Jim has been consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Insurance; and Litigation – Securities. He has been selected as an Oregon Super Lawyer, by Super Lawyers Magazine for two decades. He has also been listed as one of "Oregon's Top Rated Lawyers" by ALM Legal Leaders, published by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel magazine, affiliated with Martindale-Hubbell®.
Jim has successfully tried cases involving a wide array of large-dollar commercial business disputes, with particular emphasis on corporate governance, corporate fraud, construction, shareholders' rights, professional liability, securities, regulatory, false claims, civil penalty actions, real estate, condemnation, and insurance recovery. More recently, he has handled internal investigations for clients and represented individuals being investigated for, or charged with, financial crimes. He has also successfully resolved claims and lawsuits in a wide range of insurance areas, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for clients from domestic and foreign insurers. He likewise represents brokers and agents and reinsurance intermediaries– including some of the largest firms in the world– when they become enmeshed in coverage disputes and litigation.
Jim also represents public officials in high stakes political investigations. Past engagements include his representation of United States Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland in the Congressional impeachment inquiry, as well as former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber in an ethics investigation.
Before co-founding MWCC, Jim was a partner and the former head of litigation at Ball Janik LLP. Before joining Ball Janik, he practiced with Covington & Burling, the largest law firm in Washington, DC, where he litigated, arbitrated, and tried cases across the country for five years. After earning his law degree from the University of Virginia, he served for one year as a judicial law clerk to Federal District Judge James L. Latchum in the District of Delaware.
