Diane Polscer
PARTNER, PORTLAND
9020 SW Washington Square Road, Suite 560
Tigard, Oregon 97223
Telephone: 503-242-2922
Facsimile: 503-242-1264
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Diane Polscer is a founding member of Gordon & Polscer, L.L.C. and has been a partner since the firm’s inception in 1994, serving as managing partner until 2019. Gordon & Polscer was named, once again, one of the 2023 U.S. News & World Report - Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms,” recognized as Tier 1 in Portland for Insurance Law. Only a single lawyer in a specific practice area and location is honored with a "Lawyer of the Year" designation, and Diane Polscer received Lawyer of the Year recognition for Insurance Law in the 28th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® (2022). Diane was additionally recently included in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance. Diane focuses her practice on insurance coverage and defense, commercial litigation, and a wide range of business and insurance disputes in Oregon and Washington.
Diane was admitted to the United States Supreme Court in October 2014. She has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers since 2006 - the sixteenth consecutive year she has been named to this peer-elected distinction that is only awarded to the top 5% of attorneys in Oregon. She was featured in the 2014 Oregon Super Lawyers Magazine, August Edition; click here to read the full article. She was also named a Corporate Counsel Super Lawyer. In addition, Diane has been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” from 2011 - 2023 and has been a Martindale-Hubbell 5.0 AV Preeminent Rated Lawyer for over 20 years.
Diane has extensive commercial and complex civil litigation experience, including work on numerous bad faith claims and appeals. She is a frequent speaker and author, and a past faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She served as past Chair of the Excess and Reinsurance Subcommittee of Defense Research Institute (DRI) Insurance Law Committee. Diane is an active member in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and received the first FDCC Diversity Award in 2019 for her efforts in embodying the spirit of the organization’s Diversity Statement and the mandate of inclusiveness within the profession. In 2017, she also received the FDCC Connect Award. Diane served on the FDCC Board of Directors from 2017-2018. In addition, she is the immediate past Chair of the FDCC Diversity Committee and past Chair of the Insurance Coverage Section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC). In May 2016, Diane was selected to serve on United Heritage Mutual Holding Company Insurance Boards as Vice Chairman of the Board. She has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2013. She has served as Chair of the Board’s Risk Committee since 2019.
Diane is a co-founder of the National Insurance Law Forum, a national law blog devoted solely to legal and legislative developments in the area of insurance law.
Diane is the immediate past president of the Oregon Chapter of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (www.INBLF.com). INBLF is an organization of preeminent single-discipline law firms throughout the United States and includes some of the world’s most prominent full-service law firms in foreign nations. Diane is also a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), and a founding member and past chair of the LCA Insurance Litigation Institute.
Education & Credentials
B.A., with distinction, Pennsylvania State University
J.D., University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon Law Review, Associate Editor
Law Clerk, Chief Judge Robert J. McNichols, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
Admitted to Practice
Oregon State Bar
United States District Court, District of Oregon
Washington State Bar
United States District Court, Western District of Washington
United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Ms. Polscer is also admitted as a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.
Recognitions & Honors
Martindale-Hubbell 5.0 out of 5.0 AV Preeminent Rated Lawyer for over 20 years
Oregon Super Lawyers, 2006 – 2023
Oregon Super Lawyers Business Edition
Oregon Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel
The Best Lawyers in America®, Insurance Law, 2011 – 2024 Editions
The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation - Insurance, 2024 Edition
FDCC Connect Award, 2017
FDCC Diversity Award, 2019
Former Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners
Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Lawyer of the Year Recognition - 28th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2022 Edition)
Board Memberships, Honorary Positions, Professional Organizations & Community Involvement
United Heritage Mutual Holding Company Insurance Boards (Chair of the Board’s Risk Committee, 2019 - Present; Vice Chairman of the Board, 2016 - Present; Board of Directors Member, 2013 - Present)
Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees (Member, 2012 – 2019)
Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners (Appointed by Oregon Supreme Court, 1991 – 1994)
International Network of Boutique Law Firms (President, Oregon Chapter, 2007 – 2018)
American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel (Past Co-Chair of the Extracontractual and Bad-Faith claims Litigation Committee)
Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel since 1998 (Second woman lawyer in Oregon to be selected; Board of Directors 2017 - 2018; Past Chair, Insurance Coverage Committee, 2006 – 2008; Past Chair, New Membership and Corporate Development Subcommittee; Immediate past Chair of the Diversity Committee; Past Chair, Foundation Fundraising Committee; and past Vice Chair of the Admissions Committee)
National Charity League (2006 – Present; Chair, Recognition Event; Susan G. Komen Liaison; Special Olympics Liaison; Portland Art Museum Liaison)
Oregon Episcopal School (Chair, Friends of OES Library, 2005 – 2015; Parent Common Link, 2005 – 2015)
Defense Research Institute (Past Chair, Insurance Law Excess & Reinsurance Committee; frequent speaker and author on commercial litigation and insurance issues)
American Bar Association (Member, Litigation Section, Insurance Coverage and Tort and Insurance Practice Sections; Past Chair, Tort and Insurance Practice Self-Insurers Committee, 1996 – 1997; Co-Chair of Annual Program, 1994; Editor, Tort and Insurance Practice Section Self-Insurers Newsletter, 1994; Co-Editor, Tort and Insurance Practice Section Self-Insurers Annual Survey, 1993)
Institute for Managerial and Professional Women (Member, Board of Directors, 1991)
Oregon Women Lawyers (Founding Member, Board of Directors, 1989 – 91; Secretary, 1989 – 90; Treasurer, 1990 – 91; Chair, Professional Liaison Committee, 1989 – 90)
Oregon State Bar Judicial Administration Committee (Appointed Member by Oregon Supreme Court, 1989 – 92)
Washington Women Lawyers (Member, Board of Directors, 1987)
Inland Empire Girl Scout Council (Member, Board of Directors, 1984 – 87)
Multnomah Bar Association (Member)
Professional & Community
Memberships & Activities
Federal Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Association (Member, Litigation, Construction Law and Toxic Tort sections)
Washington State Bar Association (Member, Litigation and Construction Law sections)
Diversity Law Institute (DLI) Advisory Board (Charter Member, 2014 – 2015)
Gus Solomon American Inns of Court (Founding Member, Master)
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (Selected faculty member for the professional training program in Trial Advocacy Skills)
Litigation Counsel of America (Member, Senior Fellow)
The Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American trial lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only.
Trial Lawyers Institute (Member)
Insurance Litigation Institute of America of the Litigation Counsel of America (Founding Member and Chair)
Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
The CLM is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance companies. Selected attorneys are only offered membership through invitation only based on nomination from CLM Fellows.
Associates of Good Samaritan Hospital, Portland, Oregon (Member, 1995 – Present)
Children's Cancer Association, Dream Catcher Program (Volunteer, 2001 – Present)