Legal Question in Business Law in Oregon

Re: libel

Yes, you could have a cause of action for libel and also for commercial disparagement under ORS 646.608, which states (in part):

Attorney General's rules; unlawful business; trade practices; proof

(1) A person engages in an unlawful practice when in the course of the person's business, vocation or occupation the person does any of the following: . . .

(e) Represents that real estate, goods or services have sponsorship, approval, characteristics, ingredients, uses, benefits, quantities or qualities that they do not have or that a person has a sponsorship, approval, status, qualification, affiliation, or connection that the person does not have. . . .

Re: libel

After reading the question more carefully, I withdraw my first response. You are referring to an attorney who sent you a letter on behalf of his client, making attacks on you that you believe are false and disparaging. This letter does not constitute the publication of the contents of the letter, so you probably have no cause of action for libel. You also probably have no cause of action for commercial disparagement, because the only recipient of the disparagement is you. The attorney's letter is merely your former client disparaging you, not the attorney.