Total Credits: 2 CA, 2 DC, 2 Student and Others
| 2024 - 04.26 - OCA Conference Presentation - Print Version - V2.pdf (63.5 MB) | Available after Purchase | ||
Jim’s first job was at his father’s law firm when he was in the 6th grade. He delivered legal documents to be filed at the courthouse. He did this on the 10-speed bike he bought with the money he earned from working at his father’s firm. In high school, Jim’s dad took him to legal seminars where’s his dad was often a speaker. He’d talk with Jim about his cases and trials – Jim often watched his dad in court. He always stressed the importance that the client comes first and all the steps an attorney can take to make sure that happens. In 2022, Jim’s father passed away two months short of having practiced law for 60 years.
In 1998, Jim and his family moved to Portland so his wife could help take care of her mother, who had Parkinson’s. Jim and Dean Heiling started working together in 1998. After 22 years of practicing together, Dean became Of Counsel in 2020. Jim and Roy Fernandes have been working together since 2010 and became partners in 2020. Roy and Jim continue to build upon the excellence that was started with Dean by becoming the first personal injury B Corp in the world in 2022 and being awarded small business of the year in the state of Oregon in 2022 by the Better Business Bureau.
Pat Reece grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he graduated with distinction in 1991. In 1992, While in law school, at Lewis and Clark, Pat interned with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office, trying a dozen criminal cases.
In Pat’s first five years of practicing law, he represented clients in business and bankruptcy litigation. For the next fourteen years, Pat represented insurance companies and their clients in personal injury litigation involving car accidents, slip and fall injuries, orthopedic and neurological injuries. During the nearly fourteen years he represented insurance companies, he worked closely with claims adjusters, evaluating and defending claims, trying forty civil jury trials in Oregon and Washington.
Over time, Pat grew tired of representing insurance companies. In 2018, Pat started working with Dean, Jim and Roy, which allowed him to put the skills he developed doing defense work to work representing injured people.
Roy Fernandes grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and attended The Ohio State University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Before attending law school, Roy spent five years working for a civil and environmental engineering firm conducting environmental site assessments. In 2002, Roy moved to Portland, Oregon, to attend law school at Lewis and Clark, where he served as an associate editor on the Lewis and Clark Law Review.
For the first seven years of his legal career Roy represented insurance companies and their clients in numerous personal injury matters, including, but not limited to, auto accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip and falls, landlord tenant disputes, orthopedic injuries, neurological injuries, surgical cases and other catastrophic injury cases. During this time he worked closely with insurance adjusters developing, evaluating and defending claims. With his experience and knowledge, he guides his clients through the process of dealing with insurance companies to provide them with personalized professional service to resolve their legal issues.
A Texas native, Ashleah grew up in Austin and attended Texas State University – San Marcos for her Undergraduate and Masters degrees. After graduating from law school at UNT Dallas College of Law, Ashleah moved to Oregon to continue her community work with the Metropolitan Public Defender Community Law Division. Here, Ashleah took cases of all kinds, representing those who struggled to rebound after having contact with the criminal justice system.
Most recently, before joining Bridge City Law, Ashleah worked as in house counsel at GEICO Staff Counsel – Portland. There, Ashleah represented GEICO and their insureds in personal injury litigation involving car accidents where Plaintiff’s sustained soft tissue, orthopedic, and neurological injuries. During her time at GEICO she worked closely with claims adjusters, evaluating and defending claims. Ashleah now uses her experience assessing the risks of litigation to the insurance company.
After several years working at GEICO, Ashleah decided to make a change that would better serve our community. In joining Bridge City Law, Ashleah fulfills her passion for helping vulnerable populations at a critical points in their lives.