Tessan Wess is a partner in the Lewis Brisbois Portland office and the lead of the Portland General Liability Practice group. Her practice involves the defense of individuals and businesses, including hotels and restaurants, in a variety of matters including premises liability, hospitality transportation, product liability, intentional torts, and catastrophic injury claims. Tessan also works in litigation, representing hotels and restaurants. Tessan achieves favorable results for clients through thoughtful procedural and substantive legal strategy.

In addition to her role as a litigator, Tessan serves on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel. In this position, Tessan stays connected with Oregon’s legal community and apprised of legislative efforts that may impact the firm’s clients.

Publications

Trial Successes

Professional Presentations

• Speaker, "Limitations on Liability in a Post-Bagley and Covid World, OADC Fall Seminar," November 19, 2020
• Speaker, “Getting Your Point Across: Effective Witness Testimony,” OADC Annual Convention, June 20 - 23, 2019
• Speaker, "Don’t Leave! The Heartbreak of Handling Employee Leaves of Absence," Oregon Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Human Resources Management Meeting, February 2019
• Speaker, "Who? What? Where? Sorting Out Coverage in an Increasingly Small World," OADC Annual Convention, June 2018
• Speaker, "Sticky Green: Legal Implications of Marijuana Legalization," OADC Annual Convention, June 2015
• Speaker, "Let’s Be Blunt: Clearing the Haze Surrounding Legalized Marijuana," CPCU All Industry Day, November 2014

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Florida
  • Oregon
  • Washington
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the District of Oregon
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
• United States Courts of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Admissions

Oregon

Washington

Florida

U.S. District Court of Oregon

U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Associations

Director, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel

Awards & Honors

Super Lawyer Rising Star in Oregon, 2018 & 2020-2022

Education

Nova Southeastern University

Juris Doctor, 2010

University of Central Florida

Bachelor of Science, 2007