Our Areas of Practice
Civil rights, class action,
and appellate lawyers
for people who deserve
to be heard
We represent individuals and groups in complex litigation and partner with other attorneys when a case calls for deeper strategy or specialized appellate experience.
THE SUGERMAN DAHAB DIFFERENCE
Trial and Appellate Experience Under One Roof
Trial and appellate work demand different skills. Because our team does both, we can consider how the evidence, arguments, and decisions made at one stage may affect what happens next.
Trials
Trial work begins long before anyone enters a courtroom. We investigate the facts, develop evidence, prepare witnesses, and build clear arguments around the questions a judge or jury will need to decide.
Some cases are resolved before trial. Others require a verdict. When a case needs to be tried, our lawyers come prepared to present it with clarity, precision, and purpose.
Appeals
Our appellate lawyers represent people seeking to challenge a court decision or defend a favorable result on appeal.
We also work with trial attorneys before and during trial to identify important legal issues, create a strong court record, and prepare the case for what may come next.
OUR EXPERTISE
The Cases We Take On
Our work is concentrated in areas where individual rights, public accountability, and access to justice are often at stake. Because every matter is different, we’ll be straightforward about whether your situation falls within the work we handle.
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Appeals
We partner with trial lawyers across Oregon and nationwide to handle appeals. We know how appellate courts think, and we know how to frame the issues so they see what matters. Whether the goal is protecting a hard-won verdict or pressing for a change in the law, we bring the same rigor and strategy to every case.
Consumer Protection
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State and federal consumer protection laws give our attorneys the tools to confront predatory and unfair business practices on behalf of the people those laws are designed to protect. We step in when companies mislead, exploit, or take advantage of consumers.
Civil Rights
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We fight for people whose rights have been violated through police or prison misconduct, race discrimination, unconstitutional detention, or other unlawful government action. Through litigation, we work to remedy those harms and challenge practices that threaten the rights of others.
Criminal Defense
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We believe that everyone deserves a fair trial, meaningful counsel, and effective representation. Our attorneys take on criminal defense cases—including appeals, post-conviction matters, and challenges to unlawful detention—to help ensure those rights are upheld for all Oregonians.
Class Actions
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Class actions help level the playing field, giving individuals a way to hold powerful institutions accountable. Our lawyers have represented millions of people in consumer, civil rights, and other high-impact cases against large corporations and government entities.
OUR WORK IN ACTION
New and Noteworthy Cases
Civil Rights
Maney v. Brown
In this case, Sugerman Dahab, worked with lawyers at Oregon Justice Resource Center to represent adults incarcerated in Oregon prisons who contracted or died from COVID-19 while in custody. The claims in the case allege that officials at the Oregon Department of Corrections were negligent and deliberately indifferent in failing to implement reasonably adequate measures to protect AICs from exposure to COVID-19 during the pandemic.
The case has settled and is currently in the process of settlement administration. If you have questions about the settlement, please contact covid@sugermandahab.com.
Appeals
State v. Roberts
In this mandamus proceeding, Nadia Dahab represented an indigent Oregonian who had not been appointed an attorney to represent him in his criminal case. We argued that the State's failure to appoint counsel to represent an accused in a criminal case violated the right to counsel enshrined in Article I, section 11, of the Oregon Constitution.
The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the State cannot proceed with criminal charges. Amidst Oregon's statewide public defense crisis, the Supreme Court's decision in Roberts resulted in the dismissal of more than 1400 criminal cases statewide.
Consumer Protection
Scharfstein v. BP West Coast Products, LLC
In a landmark Oregon consumer class action, David Sugerman led a team that obtained a trial court judgment exceeding $400 million against BP over illegal debit-card fees at ARCO stations. The judgment was fully affirmed on appeal.
The eventual settlement resulted in payments to more than 1.7 million consumers and significant funding for Oregon Legal Aid and Oregon Consumer Justice.
Appeals
Estate of Fisher v. Lee
In this wrongful death case, Nadia Dahab, together with trial counsel John Coletti, represented the Estate of Grant Fisher, a 23-year-old husband and father who was killed when an impaired driver collided with his truck at roughly 96 miles per hour.
The trial court awarded the estate $20 million in noneconomic damages but then reduced that award to $500,000 under ORS 31.710(1), Oregon’s statutory cap on noneconomic damages in wrongful death cases. Nadia argued that applying the cap violated the remedy clause of Article I, section 10, of the Oregon Constitution. The Court of Appeals agreed, holding that the cap, as applied, left the estate with a constitutionally inadequate remedy.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Have a question not listed here? Email us at Info@Sugermandahab.com for more information.
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Call us at 503-228-6474, send us an email to info@sugermandahab.com, or use our contact form to tell us what happened and what kind of help you’re looking for. Our team will review the information and be candid about whether your situation falls within our areas of practice. Please note that contacting the firm does not guarantee that we will be able to represent you or create an attorney-client relationship.
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It is completely free to reach out to us. Our first consultations are always complimentary and completely confidential.
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Potentially. Our attorneys are based in Oregon, but their work is not necessarily limited to cases arising here. Whether we can take on a matter depends on its facts, the court and jurisdiction involved, and our ability to help.
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Look for an attorney with experience handling the kind of violation you experienced, a strong understanding of state and federal law, and the ability to take a case through trial and appeal when necessary. The right civil rights lawyer in Oregon should also communicate candidly and treat your experience with care.
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Consider contacting a consumer protection lawyer in Oregon, or any state, if a company has harmed you through hidden fees, misleading advertising, predatory terms, or another unfair business practice. You do not need to know which law may have been violated before reaching out.
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No. Our civil rights lawyers are based in Portland, Oregon, but their work is not necessarily limited to people or cases within the city. Whether we can help depends on what happened, where it occurred, and the court or jurisdiction involved.
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A class action lawyer may be able to help when many people have been harmed in a similar way by the same company, institution, policy, or practice. You do not need to know whether your experience legally qualifies as a class action before contacting us. Our attorneys can evaluate what happened and whether pursuing the matter collectively may be possible.
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An appellate lawyer handles legal challenges after a court has made a decision. We represent clients seeking to challenge an unfavorable ruling as well as those defending a favorable result. We also work with trial attorneys before and during trial to identify important legal issues, build a strong record, and prepare for a possible appeal.
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Yes. We work alongside other attorneys on matters involving complex litigation, class actions, civil rights, trials, and appeals. Attorneys may involve us early in a case, bring us in for a specific stage, or ask us to serve as co-counsel throughout the litigation.
Taking on the cases that matter most
Consultations are always free and confidential, and we’ll be straightforward about whether we can help. If we’re not the right firm and know someone who may be, we’ll point you in the right direction.