Background of John J. Tollefsen
Tollefsen Law Office PLLC is headed by John J. Tollefsen. John is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a lawyer with over thirty years of law and business experience. His practice is focused on private financial fraud investigations, litigation, and expert witness services.
John graduated from the University of Washington business school with an emphasis on accounting and finance in 1971. In 1974, he completed his doctor of jurisprudence at Willamette University School of Law in Salem, Oregon and began to practice in Salem and Portland. In 1982, the law firm he founded opened a Seattle office and he added Washington clients to his practice. For the first 20 years, he concentrated on business finance and litigation. He represented over 1,000 business startups and completed many private and public securities offerings.
As he observed the all-too-common greed and fraud that occurred in the financial markets, John decided he preferred representing victims over perpetrators. That led him to his current practice: Business, Bankruptcy, and Securities Litigation for Businesses, Fraud Victims, and Whistleblowers in Oregon and Washington. He became a certified fraud examiner in 2005. John pursues financial fraud perpetrators in state and federal courts (including bankruptcy and appellate courts) from Salem to Bellingham. John has won numerous large judgments and settlements for his clients. Although, he does some work on the defense side, including selected criminal matters, he attempts to only accept cases in which the defendant has due regard for victims and potential victims of any illegal conduct.
Licenses & Certifications
· Attorney at Law, State of Oregon
· Attorney at Law, State of Washington
· Certified Fraud Examiner
Federal Court Admissions
· District of Oregon
· Western District of Washington
· Eastern District of Washington
· Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Education
Legal:
· Doctor of Jurisprudence, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon
Professional:
· Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration (quantitative methods,
economics, and business finance), University of Washington
· Certified Fraud Examiner training and examination
Post Graduate Degrees:
· Master of Christian Leadership, Western Seminary, Portland,
Oregon
· Diploma in Christian Apologetics and Fellow of the Academy, International Academy of Apologetics,
Evangelism & Human Rights, Strasbourg, France
Professional Memberships
· Oregon Bar Association
· Washington Bar Association
· Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
· American Bar Association, Litigation and Business Law Sections
Current Professional Activities
· Member of Judicial Recommendation Committee of the Washington State Bar Association
· Member of House of Delegates of the Oregon State Bar Association
· Member of Hearing Officer Panel of the Washington State Bar Association
· Member of Securities Litigation Subcommittee, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association
Publications
· Primary contributor to and editor of Fraud Law, a website covering the law and issues involving financial
fraud in the Pacific Northwest.
John J. Tollefsen's Curriculum Vitae
