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(503) 226-6361Call Paulson Coletti

Two trial lawyers.
One case at a time.

Paulson Coletti is a highly selective Portland trial firm. When your life takes a serious turn, you need serious representation — from the lawyers whose names are on the door.

Free Case EvaluationMeet Jane and John
  • $400M+ recovered
  • 50+ years combined experience
  • Oregon & Washington
Jane PaulsonJohn Coletti

Our mission

Justice for people with serious injuries, and accountability for those who caused them.

We represent individuals and families across Oregon and Washington whose lives have been changed by someone else’s negligence. Our job is to secure fair compensation for the harm done to them, and to make the people and companies responsible answer for it.

$400M+
Recovered for injured clients and their families.
50+
Years of combined trial experience between the two partners.
$58M
Largest single recovery — a confidential settlement for electrical burns and wrongful death.
5.0
Average rating from Google reviews.

Who you actually work with

The two people who will handle your case

Not a case manager who calls once a month, and not a rotating associate. The partners you meet on day one are the ones who take your deposition, argue your motions and stand up at trial.

Jane Paulson, partner

Jane Paulson

PartnerMedical negligence and catastrophic injury

One of Oregon’s most respected trial lawyers, and in 2015 the first woman to serve as President of the Oregon chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Portland OR 2027 — Jane PaulsonBest Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Medical Malpractice, Portland OR 2026 — Jane PaulsonAmerican Board of Trial Advocates

Recognition
Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland — Personal Injury Litigation (2018, 2027) and Medical Malpractice Law (2020, 2024, 2026)
Also honored
Top 10 Oregon Super Lawyers, 2015–2026 · OTLA Distinguished Trial Lawyer, 2021 · Multnomah Bar Association Professionalism Award, 2017
Admitted
Oregon and Washington State Bars
Read Jane’s full bio
John Coletti, partner

John Coletti

​PartnerProduct liability and serious injury

John takes on defective products, catastrophic crashes, and claims against corporations with unlimited defense budgets.

Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Portland OR 2026 — John M. ColettiBest Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, Portland OR — John M. ColettiThe Inner Circle of Advocates

Recognition
Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” multiple times — Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, and Admiralty and Maritime Law · Ranked #1 on the Oregon Super Lawyers Top 10 list, 2025 and 2026
Memberships
Inner Circle of Advocates (Vice President) · Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers · International Academy of Trial Lawyers · ABOTA · International Society of Barristers
Admitted
Oregon and Washington State Bars
Read John’s full bio

What we stand on

We are successful because

Four commitments that decide which cases we take and how we run them.

  1. We are client-centered

    Our clients come first. We are selective about our caseload, taking on cases we believe in and believe we can win.

  2. We are community-focused

    As a local firm based in Oregon, we take pride in serving our community and strive to give back through our time and resources.

  3. We are committed to excellence

    To us, excellence isn’t just about the results we can secure, but helping the real people behind every case.

  4. We are true courtroom attorneys

    We believe in trial by jury. We are skilled and successful trial advocates, prepared to go the distance.

A selective practice

Why a small firm wins these cases

Most firms that advertise injury work are built to settle volume. We are built to try a small number of serious cases well.

That choice costs us cases. It is also why insurers and defense counsel price our files differently, and why other lawyers send us their hardest ones.

Free Case Evaluation

  • A volume firm

    Hundreds of open files per lawyer. Your case is a number in a queue.

    Here

    A deliberately small caseload, so we can give you our undivided attention.

  • A volume firm

    You meet a lawyer once, then deal with a case manager.

    Here

    You work with Jane or John from the first call through resolution.

  • A volume firm

    Settlement is the business model. Trial is a threat that is rarely carried out.

    Here

    Every case is prepared as if it is going to trial. The defense knows which firms mean it.

  • A volume firm

    Expert costs are avoided, so damages stay small.

    Here

    We advance six-figure case costs when the facts justify them — physicians, engineers, life-care planners.

Our results speak for themselves

A proven record of verdicts and settlements

View more case results

Electrical burns · wrongful death

$58 Million

A confidential settlement for electrical burns and wrongful death.

Settlement

2020 Labor Day Fires

$49 Million

A verdict and judgment against PacifiCorp for several survivors of the 2020 Labor Day Fires and the devastation suffered by the utility’s reckless inaction.

Verdict

Trucking collision

$48 Million

A confidential settlement for severe injuries caused in a trucking collision.

Settlement

Construction · fall

$19 Million

A settlement in a construction-accident case involving a fall from a roof.

Settlement

Results depend on the specific facts of each case. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Awards and accolades

Recognition that’s earned, not bought.

John Coletti and Jane Paulson of Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys were ranked #1 and #2 on the 2026 Oregon Super Lawyers Top 10 list. Both partners at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys have been named to the Oregon Super Lawyers Top 10 list every year from 2018 through 2026. Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys’ two partners have received 81 combined Oregon Super Lawyers Top List selections from 2006 through 2026.

  • Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year — Jane Paulson

    Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”

    A peer-voted honor given to one lawyer per category, per city, per year. Jane has held it four times.

  • Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year — John M. Coletti

    Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year”

    John holds it for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and for Product Liability Litigation in Portland.

  • Best Law Firms Tier 1 — Portland, Oregon

    Best Law Firms — Tier 1

    Ranked Tier 1 in Portland for medical malpractice, personal injury and product liability — plaintiffs’ side.

  • The Inner Circle of Advocates

    Inner Circle of Advocates

    Membership is capped at the 100 best plaintiff trial lawyers in America and is by invitation only. John is Vice President.

  • American Board of Trial Advocates

    American Board of Trial Advocates

    Admission requires a record of civil jury trials. Jane served as the Oregon chapter’s first woman President.

How we choose cases

We say no more often than we say yes

Because we advance the costs and try the cases ourselves, we can only take a limited number at a time. Knowing how we decide saves you time — and if we are not the right firm, we will tell you who is.

A free evaluation is exactly that. Nothing you tell us obligates you to hire us, and we do not charge to tell you the truth about your case.

Cases we take

  • Serious and permanent injury
  • Medical negligence and birth injury
  • Wrongful death
  • Defective products and machinery
  • Catastrophic motor vehicle and truck crashes
  • Cases another lawyer has referred to us

What we look at first

  • Whether the harm was preventable
  • What the records and physical evidence actually show
  • Whether an expert in that field will support it
  • What deadline you are working against
  • What insurance or assets exist to pay a judgment
  • Whether the recovery would justify what it takes to get it

Working with us

What you can expect from us

There is no risk. You can get to know our attorneys and discuss your legal options at no cost. We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning there is no legal fee until we win your case.

  • A straight answer, early

    We tell you what we think of your case and what it would take, including when the answer is that you do not have one.

  • You are never chasing us

    Calls returned, questions answered, and no surprises about where your case stands or what happens next.

  • No bills, ever

    We advance the experts, records and filing costs. Our fee is a percentage of what we recover, agreed in writing up front.

  • The decisions stay yours

    We give you our recommendation on every offer. Whether to accept it, or ask a jury instead, is always your call.

The Paulson Coletti office

Beyond our own cases

Service to the bar and to Oregon

As a local firm based in Oregon, we take pride in serving our community and strive to give back through our time and resources. Both partners have spent years in leadership of the organizations that train and hold the trial bar to standard.

Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
Jane Paulson is a past President.
ABOTA, Oregon chapter
Jane served as the chapter’s first woman President.
Inner Circle of Advocates
John Coletti serves as Vice President.
Referrals from other lawyers
A substantial share of our work comes from attorneys who send us their most difficult cases.

Client reviews

In our clients’ words

★★★★★5.0 from Google reviews

  • “I recently engaged John Coletti to represent me in a challenging legal matter, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. He took the time to thoroughly understand the nuances of our case, explaining complex legal concepts in clear, accessible terms while always keeping me informed and involved throughout the process.”
    Jennifer LittleGoogle Review
  • “Jane Paulson is a champion for her clients! She stood up for me in a way that not only produced excellent results, but also helped me to move on with my life. Her honest and forthright demeanor made it easy to trust her expertise and guidance.”
    AlexMedical negligence · Google Review
  • “John and Lisa were extremely helpful with my family as we navigated damages sustained in a tragic car accident. Their communication and empathy to our situation was greatly appreciated. I can’t imagine working our way through the tragedy without them by our side.”
    Brandon FergusonCar accident · Google Review

What we handle

Serving injured people throughout Oregon and Washington

View all practice areas

For referring attorneys

Send us the case you do not want to try

We accept referrals and co-counsel arrangements on complex injury, medical negligence and product liability matters throughout Oregon and Washington. You keep the relationship with your client; we carry the litigation.

Attorney referralsCall (503) 226-6361

No surprises

What happens after you reach out

Most people have never called a lawyer before. Here is the whole thing, so none of it is a surprise.

Nobody will pressure you to sign anything on the first call.

  1. Step 1 · Today

    You tell us what happened

    Ten or fifteen minutes, in your own words. Bring nothing — no records, no report, no notes.

  2. Step 2 · Same call

    We tell you what we think

    Whether there may be a case, what deadline you are up against, and what it would take. If we are not the right firm, we say who might be.

  3. Step 3 · If you want us to

    We gather the evidence

    We request the records and reports at our expense, and the insurance company starts dealing with us instead of you.

  4. Step 4 · Always

    You stay in control

    We recommend; you decide. Accepting an offer or asking a jury instead is your call, every time.