Trial Attorney

Michael Estok

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Michael offers the unique combination of being a first-chair trial attorney and an accomplished appellate attorney. He has successfully handled high-stakes trials before juries in both Oregon and Washington and has argued complex legal issues before the appellate courts of both states.

Michael is a strategic litigator known for thoughtful preparation, strong written and oral advocacy, and a collaborative approach to complex cases. Over more than 20 years of civil litigation practice, he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of matters, including medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, employment and civil rights cases, products liability, class actions, and commercial disputes.

Michael started his litigation career at a boutique firm in Seattle representing plaintiffs in consumer protection, employment, and class action matters. He greatly enjoyed advocating on behalf of individuals, often in cases against large regional and national corporations.

In 2009, Michael moved back home to Portland and spent the next 17 years practicing as a defense attorney at a midsize downtown firm. His practice focused on professional liability and employment defense on behalf of physicians, nurses, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. During that time, he developed deep experience working with medical experts, jury consultants, insurance companies, and healthcare professionals in high-exposure litigation. He obtained numerous defense verdicts and dismissals in multi-million-dollar malpractice cases.

Michael also served as lead appellate counsel for the defense in several cases involving influential or novel legal issues, including:

Towner v. Bernardo, 304 Or App 397 (2020)
Tomlinson v. Metropolitan Pediatrics, LLC, 362 Or 431 (2018)
Wyers v. American Medical Response Northwest, Inc., 360 Or 211 (2016)
Doehne v. EmpRes Healthcare Management, LLC, 190 Wash App 274 (2015)

His leadership within the defense bar led to his service on the amicus brief committee for the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, including multiple years as Chair. Michael also presented at national conferences on defense strategy involving hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

Even while maintaining a defense-oriented practice, Michael continued to represent plaintiffs whenever possible, particularly in employment and civil rights matters. He successfully tried multiple cases against large corporations including AT&T and Nike, including Ossanna v. Nike, Inc., 365 Or 196 (2019), a published Oregon Supreme Court decision expanding legal protections for employees.

In another employment case, following a successful seven-day arbitration, a retired King County judge wrote in the final fee award that “the Claimant’s representation, particularly by Mr. Estok, was exceptional. His knowledge, skill and quality of representation were at the highest level of representation I have observed in presiding over cases for more than 21 years on the bench in King County, Washington.”

In 2026, Michael co-founded Estok-Young with longtime colleague Jeff Young to focus exclusively on representing injured patients, families, and employees. His experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants gives him a uniquely informed perspective in complex litigation and trial strategy.

Michael obtained his law degree with high honors from the University of Washington School of Law in 2004. He is also an alumnus of Boston University and Jesuit High School. Following law school, he completed a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Walter Carpeneti of the Alaska Supreme Court.

Michael has been recognized as a leading attorney in Oregon and Washington throughout his career. He was named a “Rising Star” by Oregon Super Lawyers from 2013 to 2017 and a “Super Lawyer” from 2018 to 2024. He has also been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for medical malpractice and commercial litigation from 2020 through 2025.

Michael is licensed in the state and federal courts of Oregon and Washington.