Legal Services & Lawyers

Mr. Sumner has been practicing law since 2000. He started his career with Rosenthal & Greene, PC, a highly respected plaintiffs firm. He worked on high profile civil rights cases, legal and medical malpractice cases, and large personal injury claims. He appeared in a variety of Oregon trial courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

He moved to Abbott & Prange/Paris, PC, an insurance defense firm after about 4 years. He defended insured from a wide variety of claims including accounting malpractice, mental health professional malpractice, premises liability, automobile claims, herbicide application issues, and defending accountants against ethics allegations. The case exposure ranged from minor automobile claims to death cases. He also obtained his license in Washington in 2005. He appeared in a variety of Oregon and Washington trial courts, the Oregon Court of Appeals, the Oregon Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Districts of Oregon and the Western District of Washington, and before administrative law judges for the Board of Accountancy.

Mr. Sumner then joined Scheer & Zehnder and opened their Oregon office. His practice there focused on construction defect claims, primarily on behalf of the general contractor in large construction projects. He appeared in a variety of trial courts in Oregon and Washington and the Oregon Court of Appeals.

After opening the Scheer & Zehnder Oregon office, he joined The Rickles Law Firm. While there, he defended automobile dealers from a variety of claims including employment cases and premises liability claims. He also worked on construction defect claims and did some debt collection.

Sumner Law, PC, opened April 15, where Mr. Sumner utilizes his wide experience to represent clients in a variety of claims from bringing and defending personal injury claims to business litigation.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Sumner served in the United State Coast Guard. That experience gave him expertise in maritime issues and the nautical rules of the road. A growing area of his practice is in the maritime community, primarily as an expert witness in boating collisions.

Michael has in-depth experience in many different areas of law. Michael advises and represents multi-million dollar coporations, small businesses, individuals, and families. Michael creates businesses, advises clients, and handles litigation of all kinds, including serious injury cases, real estate and contract disputes, and family law cases.

In addition to practicing law, Michael sits on the bench and serves as the Jacksonville Municipal Court Judge. As both an attorney and a Judge, Michael has a unique perspective that allows him to effectively advise and represent clients.

Michael has a sliding fee scale and charges a discounted fee for an initial consultation. Michael has in-depth experience in many different areas of law, saving his clients the expense of using multiple attorneys with differing specialties.