Charley Gee was born and raised in the small rural town of Dallas, Oregon, in Polk County. He is a fifth-generation Oregonian. Charley's mother's family owned a leather tannery that utilized traditional non-toxic tanning processes and his father was a disabled Vietnam combat veteran and self-employed entrepreneur.
Like vegetable tanning leather using machinery over a century old, representing injured people is "not for the impatient or careless."
As a result of his rural, working-class upbringing, Charley developed a deep commitment to representing people against corporations, insurance companies, and the white collar corporate defense attorneys they hire to avoid responsibility when someone is hurt or killed. Charley's background also equipped him with a skill set and knowledge base that is rare among practicing attorneys: real-world life experience outside of law school and the law.
HARD WORK MEANS RESULTS
Prior to attending college, Charley worked a variety of blue-collar jobs including construction, food service, and factory work. After being laid off from his job as a sulfuric acid bath operator in a printed circuit board factory during the economic recession of 2001, Charley returned to school, starting at Chemeketa Community College.
Charley completed his undergraduate education at Portland State University where he graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy and was inducted into Phi Sigma Tau the international honor society for philosophy for his academic work focusing on applied ethics.
Charley attended University of Oregon School of Law where he graduated early. During law school, Charley held leadership positions in the Student Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and the Automobile Subcommittee of the Torts and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association.
During college, Charley began work for one of Oregon's oldest claimants' law firms as a file clerk and then a legal assistant. In that job, he learned the skills needed for the investigation and resolution of personal injury claims. During college, Charley observed the importance of the law in the regular person's life when something bad happens to them and inspired him to become an attorney. After working as an associate attorney, he started Charley Gee P.C. to focus on the representation of injured people.
CHARLEY ONLY REPRESENTS INJURED PEOPLE
Charley went to law school to represent injured people and only injured people, not corporations, insurance companies, or special interests. Human beings are the only clients he has had since he began practicing law, and he has represented people in a wide variety of personal injury cases across the state of Oregon. He also works through advocacy, education, and in the Oregon State Legislature to make streets and products safer for Oregonians.
Awards
Super Lawyers, Rising Star - Oregon
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.
Avvo 10/10 (Superb) Rated Attorney - Oregon
The Avvo Rating is Avvo's effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background based on the information available in an attorney’s Avvo profile. Avvo created the rating using a model that considers information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to information Avvo collects from public sources like state bar associations and lawyer websites. Any information that affects the Avvo Rating is visible in an attorney’s profile.
Why the Avvo Rating can help you find the right attorney:
Lead Counsel Rated
The Lead Counsel Rating was developed in 1997 in order to provide a simple and reliable tool consumers and businesses can use to evaluate an attorney's ability and credibility. In order to earn the Lead Counsel Rating, an attorney must not only demonstrate significant legal experience but must also receive multiple peer recommendations advocating his or her ability.
Expertise.com
Charley has been recognized by Expertise.com as one of the:
Expertise.com identifies a broad pool of active professionals within a given business category and geographical area. Using their custom tools and resources, they analyze publicly available data and verify contact and license information to assure candidates are actively doing business and are in good standing in their communities.
Each business is graded across the following selection criteria:
Community Involvement
Charley served for five years on the Board of Directors of Umbrella. He currently serves as the organization's general counsel and registered agent. Umbrella is a unique Portland-based fiscal sponsor nonprofit organization that works to encourage active street culture by providing nonprofit status, liability insurance, permitting assistance, and bookkeeping to projects like Better Block PDX, CycloFemme PDX, The Disaster Relief Trials, Shift, Skate Like a Girl, and The World Naked Bike Ride.
Charley has also served as a volunteer coach for the Franklin High School (Portland) Mock Trial Team.
Charley has also volunteered with organizations like The Street Trust (formerly the Bicycle Transportation Alliance), Oregon Walks (formerly The Willamette Pedestrian Coalition), Willamette Riverkeeper, and Friends of Trees.
Charley is a frequent speaker for legal and community groups on bicycle law, pedestrian law, insurance, and legal practice development.
Courts Admitted
United States District Court - Oregon
Organization Memberships
Oregon Trial Lawyers Association - Guardian of Civil Justice Member
Washington State Association for Justice - Eagle Member
Multnomah Bar Association (past term on the Court Liaison Committee, former Chair of the Futures Committee, currently serves on the Solo and Small Firm Committee)
Clackamas County Bar Association
American Association of Justice (Member of the Bicycle Litigation Group)
