Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP

Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP is a law firm located in downtown Portland, Oregon. The published firm name carries all four surnames, and the website domain (hittandhiller.com) uses only the first two; the site itself uses "Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP" throughout, and the employment page abbreviates it "HHMW". The firm describes itself as "established with a vision of creating a small firm focused on superior service at a fair price" and says it was "Established as a law firm of trial lawyers".

The home page lists these practice areas: Trucking and Transportation, Business Litigation, Labor and Employment, Construction, Professional Liability, Insurance, Banking / Foreclosure Disputes, Personal Injury and Death, Corporate General Counsel, Real Estate, Subrogation, Environmental, and Admiralty. The separate practice areas page lists a slightly longer set that also includes Business Transactions, Workers' Compensation, and Land Use. Construction work is described as covering general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, developers and owners on construction and supplier contracts, liens, land use issues, insurance, and construction defect claims. Professional liability work is described as representing lawyers, doctors, dentists, nurses and other professionals in lawsuits and before professional licensing boards.

The firm publishes no prices, no price list, no hourly rates, no flat fees, no retainer amount and no cost estimate. There is no published fee schedule anywhere on the site, and no online quote request. Anyone who needs a quote, an estimate or an idea of cost must contact the office directly by phone at 503.228.8870.

What the site does publish is a general position on the economics of litigation, quoted verbatim: "We run lean and mean, keeping our overhead in check. We bring that same efficiency to every client and every case." The page argues that as firms get big so does their overhead, "which drives rates skyward," and says: "Over the last decade, hourly rates for litigation at big firms have skyrocketed." It adds: "We work for many companies and insurers who carefully manage litigation costs and outcomes. They appreciate our value added approach to litigation, low overhead and the efficiency we bring to every case." And: "Litigation, even with reasonable rates, can be expensive. We endeavor to establish a litigation strategy on each case that is focused upon achieving the desired result without waste of time or money."

The office location published on every page is:

Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP, 411 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 400, Portland, Oregon 97204. Telephone 503.228.8870. Fax 503.228.4250.

The attorney directory names six attorneys: James L. Hiller, Brian B. Williams, Scott T. Schauermann, Alison R. Barber, Danny L. Hitt, Jr., and Scott P. Monfils. The contact page lists the same six plus Tomas F. Osborne, so the two published lists on the site differ by one name.

Published summaries

Scott T. Schauermann has defended individuals and corporations in general liability, medical and dental malpractice, product liability, construction defect, and insurance coverage claims in both Oregon and Washington. Alison R. Barber began working as an insurance claims adjuster after college and "first entered the trucking industry in 2000 when she began work as a senior adjuster for a third party administrator of commercial and trucking claims." Danny L. Hitt, Jr. is described as having "28 years as an attorney", much of it as a litigator at one of the Northwest's largest law firms. Of Scott P. Monfils the site states: "Scott became an Oregon bar-licensed attorney in 1980, and voluntarily resigned his license in 2017. In his 36 years of active practice in Oregon, Scott was an experienced litigator."

The firm represents Oregon and Washington employers of all sizes on employment issues. Its stated goal is "to assist you in crafting practical solutions to workforce issues at a reasonable cost."

Published employment advice, counseling and training services cover hiring, discipline, termination, development and implementation of employment policies, drafting and enforcing non-competition/non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements, resolving termination disputes, reviewing employer policies, manuals and guidelines, wage and hour laws, and leave laws. The firm also provides tailored on-site training on a variety of employment law topics.

Trucking and transportation is the practice area the firm gives the most prominence. The trucking page states: "No one in the Pacific Northwest devotes more to the defense of the trucking industry than Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP. Trucking is the single largest portion of our practice." The firm says it has handled "thousands of trucking cases and claims for companies of all sizes" and that it is on immediate response teams for trucking companies and insurers.

Published trucking services include dealing with DOT investigations and inspections, working with accident reconstructionists, and responding to the scene of major accidents throughout the Pacific Northwest. The firm says its attorneys are often called on to speak at OTA and ATA seminars.

These are things people ask Hitt Hiller Monfils Williams LLP that its published information does not yet cover.

• prices or legal fees
• availability of attorneys or appointments
• guarantees or promises of legal outcomes
• expected case duration or timelines
• specific success rates or win percentages
• binding fee quotes or billing terms