John Kaempf is a trial lawyer based in Portland, Oregon who specializes in defending lawsuits against churches and religious schools.

John Kaempf is a trial lawyer based in Portland, Oregon who specializes in defending lawsuits against churches and religious schools, child abuse claims against corporations (both religious and secular), employment litigation, and high exposure personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has tried over 20 cases to Oregon juries and has won many other cases through pretrial motions. His practice encompasses both trial and appellate work.​ John has more than 20 years’ experience defending civil l...

John Kaempf is a trial lawyer based in Portland, Oregon who specializes in defending lawsuits against churches and religious schools, child abuse claims against corporations (both religious and secular), employment litigation, and high exposure personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has tried over 20 cases to Oregon juries and has won many other cases through pretrial motions. His practice encompasses both trial and appellate work.​ John has more than 20 years’ experience defending civil litigation in Oregon’s state and federal courts. He has been selected as an Oregon “Super Lawyer,” an award given to the top 5% of Oregon attorneys, every year the award has been given. He is also recognized by Best Lawyers in America, and his law firm is one of America’s “Best Law Firms” according to U.S. News & World Report. He has an AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given. He graduated cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1992. John is the author and publisher of Oregon Religious Law Update, a newsletter that addresses developments in Oregon and national law that affect churches, religious schools, and other religious organizations in Oregon. A link to the Oregon Religious Law Update Blog is above. Before opening his own firm, John worked for more than 15 years at one of Oregon's largest civil defense law firms. Thus, at his own civil defense litigation firm, John combines big firm experience with the highly responsive approach of a boutique firm.