Cite as 3 Litigation Commentary & Rev. 28 (April/May 2010)

The Oregon State Bar Litigation Section is proud to present the annual Owen M. Panner Professionalism Award at its annual retreat each year. The award is named after Judge Panner, a senior judge of the District of Oregon, and honors a member of the bench or bar who exemplifies the highest personal and professional standards. This year the winner was Oregon Fellow Nancie K. Potter of Roberts Kaplan, LLP in Portland. The award was presented to her by Judge Panner at a dinner in her honor on March 5.

Ms. Potter specializes in Corporate Governance, Litigation and Securities Enforcement & Litigation. Ms. Potter is also an experienced arbitrator, having served on panels for the NASD/FINRA, Arbitration Services of Portland, and the Multnomah County, Oregon Circuit Court. She provided arbitrator training as a member of the Multnomah County Arbitration Commission from 2004-2007.

Ms. Potter’s trial and appellate practice has focused on contract claims, securities defense, financial litigation, and business torts. She has particular expertise in officers’ and directors’ liability, proxy contest litigation, business valuation disputes, unfair competition, and controversies relating to acquisition or sale of real estate and business interests.

Ms. Potter is admitted to practice in New York and Oregon state and federal courts. She served as an officer and director of the Multnomah Bar Association and on the executive committees of the Oregon State Bar’s Securities Regulation Section and Litigation Section. She is a founding member of Women Lawyers of Interlaw, an international consortium of independent law firms. For ten years she taught appellate practice and coached the national moot court team at Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, and she is a former faculty member of Opportunities for Law in Oregon (“OLIO”), the Oregon State Bar’s award winning affirmative action program. She is a longtime mentor to attorneys and law students.

Ms. Potter earned her JD from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in 1978, and will be awarded a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from George Fox University on May 1.