Monica Wells

Associate, Portland Office

Direct Dial: 503.499.4456
monica.wells@bullivant.com



Practice Areas

Industries

Bar/Court Admissions

Admitted to Oregon Bar, 2003
Admitted to U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, 2003
Admitted to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2003
Admitted to Washington Bar, 2004
Admitted to U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2004

Education

  • University of Oregon, School of Law - J.D., Order of the Coif, 2003
  • Seattle University - B.A., magna cum laude, 2000

Experience

Monica Wells focuses her practice on defending personal injury claims. Her litigation practice deals primarily with defending companies in toxic tort and product liability claims. She represents a variety of suppliers and product manufacturers in asbestos litigation, including manufacturers of joint compound, valves, pumps, floor tile and furnaces.

Monica has experience in all aspects of litigation, including discovery, depositions, discovery motions, experts, dispositive motions, settlement negotiations and trial. She has taken and defended more than 75 depositions. In September 2008, Monica second-chaired a four-week asbestos trial involving exposure to joint compound. The jury returned a unanimous verdict for the client - a joint compound manufacturer.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Monica worked at Keating Jones Hughes PC for four years defending physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers in medical malpractice claims.

In addition to her litigation practice, Monica advises new and emerging Oregon businesses through participating in the Lewis & Clark Law School's Small Business Legal Clinic Pro Bono Project. This project provides business transactional legal advice primarily to businesses owned by women, minorities and recent immigrants.

Representative Work

Professional/Civic Involvement

  • Board Member, Resource Development Board of CARES Northwest, a collaborative, community-based medical program for the assessment, treatment and prevention of child abuse
  • Volunteer, Oregon Humane Society
  • Member, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
  • Member, Oregon Women Lawyers
  • Member, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
  • Member, Defense Research Institute
  • Member, Multnomah County Bar Association

Publications & Presentations

  • Author, "Fact Investigation - Digging Up Information and Witnesses," DRI's The Whisper (2009)
  • Co-Author, "Depositions of Product Identification Witnesses in Asbestos Cases," HarrisMartin's Asbestos Conference (2009)
  • Co-Author, "Opening Statements in Asbestos Cases: What to Include and What to Avoid," HarrisMartin's Asbestos Conference (2008)