Lou Ferreira

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Lou Ferreira is a senior partner with more than 30 years of complex trial experience. His practice focuses on insurance coverage and environmental, safety & health issues.

Best Lawyers in America® has consistently recognized Lou as one of the leading attorneys in insurance law. He has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars from insurance companies for his clients. Lou is AV Peer Review Rated for Energy & Environmental, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition for professional ability and ethical standards. He represents clients in an array of environmental contexts, including issues related to negotiation of consent decrees with governmental agencies, lawsuits between potentially liable parties to allocate the cost of environmental cleanups, suits against insurance companies to recover the costs associated with environmental liabilities, and Citizen Suits under the Clean Water Act. Lou has tried cases under both the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Recovery Act (CERCLA), and Washington State’s Model Toxics Control Act.

Lou regularly advises companies on a wide range of risk management issues, including matters concerning the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, product liability, regulatory compliance, and contractual allocation of risks, as well as advising clients with regard to the procurement of a wide range of insurance products necessary to deal with their unique issues.

Lou has represented clients in OSHA and other types of regulatory enforcement actions involving workplace fatalities and other catastrophes. Lou is experienced in managing multi-agency investigations, coordinating evidence preservation, and making sure clients have the right experts involved to protect their rights and to understand the root causes of such events.

Prior to joining Stoel Rives, Lou served as law clerk to the Honorable Stephen S. Trott, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1989–1990) and as an honors intern in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental and Occupational Disease Litigation Section (1987). He also served as a Special Forces medic in the U.S. Army.

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OR-OSHA Publishes Model Infection Control Policy Required by New COVID- 19 Rules

On November 6, 2020, the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OR-OSHA”) published final temporary rules for workplace safety protections specific to COVID-19. Our alert about the new rules is available here. Among other requirements, the new rules require employers to adopt a COVID-19 Infection Notification policy for notifying exposed and affected employees of possible … Continue Reading

Latest OSHA COVID-19 Safety Tips for the Construction Industry & Guidance on Drafting a COVID-19 Policy and Administering the Job Site to Minimize the Hazard

OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires an employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.  In the current pandemic,  COVID-19 qualifies and contractors should draft a COVID-19 policy for their worksites implementing the latest guidance in order to minimize the hazard and protect employees. In … Continue Reading

All is Not Well with Oregon’s ELL

In my latest Daily Journal of Commerce Construction column, I discuss Oregon’s Employer’s Liability Law or the ELL, workers’ compensation and why the Oregon legislature should take another look at these piecemeal laws. As it stands, the party with the greatest culpability may not pay anything for the injuries they cause. Read the full article here. … Continue Reading

Do You Understand all that Insurance Jargon in Contract?

In my latest Daily Journal of Commerce Construction column, I discuss insurance jargon in contracts and use Commercial General Liability or “CGL” policies as an example.  The terms “bodily injury,” “personal or advertising injury,” and “property damage” all have specific meanings in CGL policies.  Since this language is not always intuitive, it is best to … Continue Reading
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