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Desktop Image: DiLorenzo, John
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John A. DiLorenzo Jr.

Partner

Co-chair, Government Relations Practice

T 503.778.5216 Portland
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John DiLorenzo's practice emphasizes change. Even if the law does not support a client's position, there may be good policy reasons to support change to the law. John's practice designs and implements strategies to change the law by lobbying legislative and executive branch officials, initiating administrative rulemaking, or litigating to clarify what the law means. John has authored and been a primary advocate for major legislation in the areas of state and local taxation, tort reform, natural resources, and economic development and environmental insurance recovery. John also assists clients in campaign finance, government ethics, initiatives and referendums, appellate cases, and a variety of government-related litigation matters. In November 2019, John was lead counsel on a trial against the State of Oregon resulting in the largest jury verdict in state history.

Practice Highlights

  • Obtained the largest jury verdict in state history against the State of Oregon ($1,065,919,400.00) on behalf of 160 local governments. County of Linn v. State of Oregon (2019)
  • Organized the Oregon Litigation Reform Coalition, which successfully lobbied a package of bills providing for reciprocity in attorney fee awards, prohibiting application of RICO in most business disputes unless a prior criminal conviction was obtained, changing standards for punitive damages awards, allocating 60 percent of those awards to the state, and abolishing the doctrine of joint and several liability and replacing it with the doctrine of reallocation for most tort actions
  • Authored and lobbied for numerous sections of "Measure 50" and its implementing legislation, reducing and limiting property taxes statewide
  • Authored and successfully lobbied "Right to Farm" legislation protecting agriculture from many nuisance and trespass suits as development moves closer to farming communities
  • Negotiated and successfully advocated legislation preempting local governments from imposing "conversion penalties" on HUD Section 8 landlords who convert to "free market" at completion of Section 8 programs
  • Authored and successfully lobbied Oregon’s Environmental Cleanup Assistance Act, requiring Oregon law to apply to insurance policies on environmental claims and expanding definition of "suit" to include voluntary responses to environmental regulatory bodies
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation providing transition rules for owners of historic properties that experience property tax assessment "step ups" upon program renewal
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation exempting property used in egg production from property tax
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation providing immunity from suit for antifreeze manufacturers who add "bittering agents" to antifreeze products for safety
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation permitting both in-state and out-of-state residents "like-kind exchange" tax treatment for Oregon income tax purposes
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for 2003 Transition Amendments to the Environmental Cleanup Assistance Act, permitting "all sums" recovery against non-settling insurers remaining as defendants in pending environmental insurance recovery cases
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation permitting certain aerial-display fireworks companies to maintain their operations in exclusive farm use zones
  • Authored and successfully lobbied for legislation relieving developers of certain licensing requirements and permitting "downstream" suits to recover damages from subcontractors notwithstanding license status of developer
  • Lobbied numerous amendments for a variety of business clients
  • Successfully lobbied for legislation exempting religious schools from state oversight relating to degrees offered
  • Successfully lobbied for a variety of appropriations
  • Successfully lobbied for and drafted major portions of HB 3369 (2009) which paved the way for water development projects in the Umatilla Basin
  • Successfully lobbied for and drafted statewide GMO preemption law (2013) and successfully defended the statute at trial and before Court of Appeals

Linn County v. Oregon Board of Forestry

Class action on behalf of 160 local governmental units against the state for breach of their forest trust land contracts. $1.065 billion verdict obtained in 2019. Case No. 16CV07708 (Linn County Cir. Ct. Nov. 20, 2019)

Masonry Building Owners Assn v. City of Portland

Federal court injunction against city of Portland's Placarding Ordinance. 394 F.Supp.3d 1279 (2019)

Owen v. City of Portland

Challenging Portland Tenant Relocation Payment Ordinance. 2017 WL 3670603 (Multnomah County Cir. Ct. July 13, 2017)

More Housing Now!

Organized on behalf of owners of multifamily properties and led the effort to defeat rent control in Oregon Legislature. (2016-2018)

Anderson v. City of Portland

Litigation on behalf of rate payers seeking reimbursement of moneys expended from water and sewer funds for unrelated city projects. Recovered over $10 million for water and sewer ratepayers. (2017). Multnomah County Cir. Ct., No. 1112-15957, Jan. 3, 2018
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Admitted to Practice

  • New York, 2018
  • Oregon, 1980
  • District of Columbia, 1997
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Education

  • J.D., Willamette University College of Law, 1980
  • B.S., Economics, Willamette University, 1977, cum laude

Memberships & Affiliations

    • Oregon Law Commission (appointed by Oregon Senate President)
    • Past Chair, Government Affairs Practice Group, Lex Mundi, 2009-2011
    • Board of Directors, Arlington Club, 1999-2001
    • Board of Directors, University Club of Portland, 1993, 1997
    • Secretary and Director, Arlington Club Heritage Foundation
    • Secretary, More Housing Now Inc.

Professional Recognition

    • Named "Lawyer of the Year" in Government Relations (Portland), Best Lawyers, 2013, 2018, 2022, 2024
    • Named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Best Lawyers in Government Relations Practice, 2011-present; in Commercial Litigation, 2025-present
    • Selected to "Oregon Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2006-2016
    • Won "Impact Case of the Year" Award, Benchmark Litigation, 2020
    • Recognized as "Litigator of the Week" for $1 billion jury verdict, AmLaw/Law.com, November 2019
    • "Best of the Bar" Award Recipient, Government Law, Portland Business Journal, 2005
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Publications
08.17.23
News
2024 Edition of Best Lawyers Recognizes More Than 175 Davis Wright Tremaine Attorneys for Excellence Read More
Publications
05.31.23
News
Davis Wright Tremaine Wins First-of-Its-Kind Settlement With City of Portland Read More
Publications
11.01.21
Publications
National Law Journal Recognizes Davis Wright Tremaine in its 2021 Verdicts Hall of Fame Read More
Publications
08.19.21
News
Twelve From Davis Wright Tremaine Named 2022 "Lawyers of the Year" by Best Lawyers Read More
Publications
2020
News
"Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment," Davis Wright Tremaine Pro Bono & Social Impact Report Read More External Link
Publications
03.11.20
News
Litigation
Davis Wright Tremaine Wins 'Impact Case of the Year' Award From Benchmark Litigation Read More
Publications
11.20.19
News
Litigation
Quoted in "Oregon loses $1 billion timber lawsuit to rural counties," Oregon Live/The Oregonian Read More External Link
Publications
11.20.19
News
Quoted in "Portland agrees to pay $350,000 settlement linked to lawsuit over earthquake warning sign," Oregon Live/The Oregonian Read More External Link
Publications
11.19.19
News
Litigation
Quoted in "Oregon Lawyers In $1.4 Billion Timber Lawsuit Make Their Final Case To Jury," Oregon Public Broadcasting Read More External Link
Publications
05.30.19
News
Quoted in "Judge blocks Portland earthquake warning sign ordinance indefinitely," Oregon Live/The Oregonian Read More External Link
02.22.18
News
Quoted in "Port, Schools Seek Legal Representation in Timber Lawsuit," The Daily Astorian
Publications
01.31.18
News
Quoted in "Oregon Judge Rules ‘Immunity’ Not A Defense," Timber Harvesting Read More External Link
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