Cosgrave Vergeer Kester

What Cosgrave Vergeer Kester does

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP is a Portland, Oregon-based law firm founded in 1934, operating as a Limited Liability Partnership owned by its partner attorneys. The firm delivers legal services across 17 practice areas — including appellate advocacy, commercial litigation, corporate law, construction, employment law, product liability, professional liability, real estate, and taxation — to enterprise clients in railroad, manufacturing, real estate, professional services, and other industries. Its customer roster includes BNSF Railway, RailAmerica, Invacare, Pirelli Tires, Tyson Foods, and Steris Corporation, alongside confidential anchor clients for whom it has handled matters ranging from a $54 million grocery chain stock sale to a $30 million construction defect settlement. The firm employs 51-100 people with 36+ attorneys, maintains its headquarters at 900 SW Fifth Avenue, and serves clients primarily across Oregon and Washington with broader reach via ALFA International network membership.

The firm's revenue model is traditional professional services billing — hourly rates and fixed fees per matter — with no public pricing disclosure. Work is acquired through professional reputation, bar association involvement, industry conference presence, and ALFA International referrals rather than through aggressive marketing or sales operations. The firm's go-to-market is anchored by long-standing industry specialization, particularly in railroad defense (a legacy inherited from founder Randall Kester's Union Pacific background) and product liability defense for manufacturers. Marketing channels emphasize CLE seminars, bar leadership positions, and community involvement (Campaign for Equal Justice, Classroom Law Project, Oregon Food Bank) rather than digital demand generation.

CVK is led by Managing Partner Paul Berg, who succeeded Jill Laney (2010-2024); Thom Brown held the role from 1994-2010. The firm has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no institutional investors, and no public funding history. Recent activity includes a January 2026 partner promotion (Sean Lanz), 2025-2026 awards including CEJ Large Firm Award, Oregon Super Lawyers recognition (six attorneys in 2026), and Best Lawyers in America (13 attorneys in 2025). Technology adoption is minimal: no API, no proprietary platform, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, consistent with a traditional mid-sized regional law firm.

Name

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester

Legal name

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP

Website

https://cosgravelaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP is a Portland, Oregon-based mid-sized law firm founded in 1934, providing litigation, corporate, employment, and industry-specific legal counsel across 17 practice areas to enterprise clients in railroad, manufacturing, real estate, and professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm revenue from providing legal services to clients including litigation, corporate law, real estate, employment, and industry-specific legal counsel. Services billed at attorney hourly rates or fixed fees for specific matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP is a full-service law firm delivering legal counsel for business, industry, and individuals. The firm provides litigation defense, corporate counsel, employment law, real estate law, and industry-specific representation across 17 practice areas and four core industry verticals (railroad, manufacturing, real estate, professional services). Services are billed at attorney hourly rates or fixed fees per matter.

Product overview

Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP is a full-service law firm offering legal counsel to businesses, industry, and individuals. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a software product platform. Its service portfolio spans multiple industry verticals (Real Estate, Railroad, Professional Services, Manufacturing) and encompasses 17 distinct practice areas including Appellate & Litigation Support, Arbitration & Mediation, Business & Commercial Litigation, Business & Corporate Law, Construction Services & Litigation, Coverage Opinions & Litigation, Employment Law, Employment Litigation, Environmental Law & Toxic Torts, Estate and Trust Planning, Financial Services Litigation & Compliance, Personal Injury & Property Damage Liability, Product Liability, Professional Liability, Real Estate Law, Regulatory, and Taxation. The firm has served clients since 1934 and operates from Portland, Oregon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ALFA InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember firm of ALFA International, a global legal network. Firm participates in ALFA practice groups including Real Estate Practice Group and Transportation Practice Group. Partnership provides access to global legal resources and client referral network across jurisdictions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tonkon Torp LLP: Portland-based mid-sized law firm with similar size and full-service practice areas, including business, litigation, and real estate law. Directly comparable peer competing for the same Pacific Northwest enterprise clients.
• Miller Nash LLP: Portland and Pacific Northwest mid-sized law firm offering comparable business, litigation, and industry-specific legal services. Similar size band and client mix make this a direct peer.
• Stoel Rives LLP: Pacific Northwest-based full-service law firm with strong Portland presence and similar practice areas in litigation, corporate, real estate, and industry-specific counsel. Closely comparable in terms of market position and enterprise client focus.
• Lane Powell PC: Pacific Northwest law firm with offices in Portland and Seattle providing business litigation, corporate law, and industry-specific counsel. Comparable geographic and practice-area overlap.
• Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt: Pacific Northwest-based law firm with Portland presence offering intellectual property, litigation, corporate, and industry-specific legal services. Direct competitor for similar enterprise and middle-market clients.
• Bullard Law: Portland-based mid-sized law firm focusing on employment, litigation, and business counsel. Comparable in size and practice mix to CVK, serving enterprise clients in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

Regional players

• Klarquist Sparkman LLP: Portland-based law firm specializing in intellectual property and commercial litigation. Comparable in regional focus but narrower in practice area specialization.
• Foster Garvey PC: Pacific Northwest law firm with offices in Portland and Seattle offering business, litigation, and industry counsel. Comparable regional scope and enterprise client orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Davis Wright Tremaine LLP: Large national law firm with strong Pacific Northwest presence. Overlaps significantly with CVK in litigation, employment, and industry-specific counsel, but offers broader geographic reach and significantly larger bench.
• Perkins Coie LLP: Major national law firm with deep Portland roots. Far larger than CVK but competes for the same enterprise and high-stakes litigation work in the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cosgrave Vergeer Kester