About Chris
Chris MacNeil earned both his undergraduate degree and his law degree from the University of Oregon in 1981. He finished a Bachelor of Science and then continued at the same campus for a Juris Doctor, completing the academic work that set the stage for a long legal career in Oregon. Those early years in Eugene shaped his connection to the state's courts and communities.
He entered private practice after law school and rose into firm leadership within a few years. In 1986 he became a partner at Nelson MacNeil Rayfield Trial Lawyers, P.C., a position he has held for decades. That elevation reflected his move into the firm’s core trial work and into a role that combined courtroom responsibilities with mentoring younger lawyers.
MacNeil is licensed to practice in Oregon. He maintains active ties to the bar and to trial-focused professional groups. He holds current memberships in the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association of Justice, and the Linn-Benton Bar Association. Those memberships connect him to continuing education, peer networks and trial advocacy resources across the state and nationally.
His work has centered on trial litigation at the firm. The name of the practice signals the kind of work he does: courtroom appearances, jury trials and the preparation those cases require. He handles litigation tasks that range from pretrial investigation and motions practice to trial strategy and closing arguments. Colleagues describe him as steady in the courtroom and direct with juries.
Over more than four decades since finishing law school, MacNeil has combined day-to-day casework with the responsibilities of firm leadership. He has worked alongside other partners to run a practice that serves clients at the trial level. He also remains involved in regional legal activities through the Linn-Benton Bar Association and state-wide efforts through the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association.
He practices at Nelson MacNeil Rayfield Trial Lawyers, P.C., in Oregon, where he continues to try cases and handle litigation matters in the state courts.
