Harry Wilson

“A brilliant legal strategist.”

– Litigation counsel for a publicly-traded software company

“An outstanding reputation . . . creative, thoughtful, and diligent. Valued in both the courtroom and the boardroom.”

– Former state attorney general

“Smart, articulate, ethical . . . a breeze to work with.”

– General counsel of an educational media company

Harry represents businesses and governments litigating complex statutory claims and managing pre-litigation investigations. He has first-chaired trials testing state and federal constitutional limits and led teams in multiple litigations involving complex statutory claims exceeding $300 million. He specializes in antitrust, false claims, unlawful trade practices, racketeering, and constitutional questions. He also has extensive experience defending class actions and mass torts.

Harry chairs the firm’s Government Practice Group and leads the firm's New York office. Recent high-profile litigation includes:

Constitutional Law

• PGE Company et al. v. Northwestern Corporation et al. Harry defended a publicly-regulated energy company in multi-party litigation in Montana concerning the Dormant Commerce Clause and the Contract Clause, obtaining preliminary and permanent injunctions in federal court against two Montana statutes.
• Martin v. City of Boise. Harry co-authored the League of Oregon Cities’ amicus briefs supporting the City of Boise before the United States Supreme Court. Justice Gorsuch cited the League’s briefs seven times in his majority opinion.

Antitrust

• REX - Real Estate Exchange, Inc. v. Brown, et al. Harry defended the state Real Estate Commission and others from an antitrust claim alleging state-sanctioned price fixing. The federal district court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss with prejudice on state-action immunity grounds, successfully halting the case at the pleading stage, before discovery commenced or costs escalated.
• Rosenblum v. Talmage, LLC et al. Harry represented the state treasury in litigation brought by the state attorney general against investment funds headquartered in New York. The attorney general prevailed on antitrust and unjust enrichment claims at trial.

• FamilyCare, Inc. v. Oregon Health Authority, et al. Harry defended the Oregon Health Authority from claims brought by a managed care organization seeking more than $300 million in damages. The case involved esoteric Medicaid regulations, actuarial analyses of insurance rates, and assessment of risk score methodologies, requiring more than half a dozen experts. The case settled one month before trial.
• Rosenblum v. Sackler et al. and related cases. Harry represents the Oregon Attorney General in multiple actions against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family related to the opioid epidemic. The Oregon Attorney General’s lawsuit was the first in the nation to identify nearly $11 billion in fraudulent transfers out of Purdue and drew national media attention in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News.
• Confidential federal False Claims Act investigation. Harry is defending an individual in a confidential federal false claims investigation.
• Rosenblum et al. v. Oracle, Inc. et al. Represented the State of Oregon and Cover Oregon in litigation against Oracle, the second-largest software company in the world. The litigation involved seven cases in state and federal courts and claims for breach of contract, fraud, false claims, copyright, and racketeering. The litigation settled successfully in September 2016.

Firearms/Second Amendment Litigation

• Oregon Firearms Federation v. Governor Tina Kotek. Harry served as first-chair trial lawyer and led a team defending the Governor, Attorney General, and Superintendent of the Oregon State Police in four consolidated federal cases challenging the constitutionality of Oregon’s restrictions on large-capacity magazines and permits to purchase firearms. Following a week-long trial, Harry’s clients obtained a complete defense verdict, upholding the constitutionality of the laws.
• Arnold v. Governor Tina Kotek. Harry served as first-chair trial lawyer in a week-long trial challenging the constitutionality of public safety laws under the state constitution. The laws were held constitutional on appeal.

Substance Use Disorder Recovery Advocacy

Harry is an active member of the alcoholism and addiction recovery community. He serves on the board of Phoenix House NY, a 400-bed substance use and mental health treatment program in New York City and Long Island. He is also the former chair of the board of directors of Fora Health Recovery & Treatment, one of the largest non-profit substance use disorder treatment programs in the Pacific Northwest. He led Fora’s 2016-2020 capital campaign, which raised $30 million to build a state-of-the-art medical facility for individuals suffering from substance use disorder. In 2019, Fora presented him with the 20th annual Freedom Award in recognition of his efforts to fight the stigma of addiction. Harry is in long-term recovery from alcoholism and addiction.

Before joining Markowitz Herbold, Harry clerked for United States District Court Judge Michael H. Simon and was an Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Lewis & Clark Law School.