| Oregon State Bar Bulletin — OCTOBER 2009 |
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John L. Zenor, senior counsel to the Jackson Lewis firm in Portland, has been named one of the top 100 labor attorneys in the United States for 2009 by Labor Relations Institute. He is the only Oregon labor attorney among those selected.
The Oregon Trial Lawyers Association has elected Portland employment attorney Dana Sullivan of Buchanan, Angeli, Altschul & Sullivan as president for 2009-10. Other new officers elected are: Tom D’Amore of D’Amore and Associates, Portland, president-elect; Michael Wise of Michael Wise & Associates, Portland, secretary/treasurer; and Brian Dretkeof Hallman & Dretke, Pendleton, parliamentarian. New board members include: Martin Alveyof Martin Alvey P.C., Portland; Vance Day of Adams, Day & Hill, Salem; Sonya Fischer of Law Office of Sonya Fischer, Lake Oswego; and Kimberly Tucker of Swanson, Thomas & Coon, Portland. Returning board members include: Kelly Andersen, Jeffrey Bowersox, Robert Beatty-Walters, Kathryn Clarke, Beth Creighton, Michael Greene, Stephen Hendricks, Neil Jackson, Lara Johnson, Elizabeth McKanna, Leslie O’Leary, Shelley Russell, David Sugerman, Elizabeth Welchand Tim Williams. The immediate past president is Don Jacobs of NW Injury Law Center, Vancouver.
Portland attorney Kohel Haver received the Humanitarian Award from the Willamette Writers at the organization’s 40th annual conference in August. Haver is a partner with Swider Medeiros Haver, where his practice focuses on copyright and related intellectual property, technology and business law. The award recognizes his longstanding support for and work on behalf of local writers. His career has focused on serving the creative arts community.
Jessica Asai of Farleigh Wada Witt is one of the founders and has been elected to the board of the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA), Oregon’s newest bar organization. OAPABA is committed to connecting and serving Oregon’s fast-growing community of Asian Pacific American attorneys. Asai is also a member of Oregon Minority Lawyers Association and Oregon Women Lawyers.
Peter McKittrick of Farleigh Wada Witt, Portland, has been appointed an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School and will teach a course on bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law. In addition to practicing bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law for more than 20 years, McKittrick is a member of the Portland panel of Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees.
The Star Profile, a Management Tool to Unleash Employee Potential, written by Ater Wynne employment attorney Jathan Janove, has received a 2009 Gold Award in the business/career/sales category by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Known as IPPY Awards, the program honors the year’s best independently published titles. Janove, who is a partner at the firm, describes his book as a “short, practical, and to-the-point communication tool that cuts through the clutter to deliver — in 100 words or less — compelling language proven to promote collaboration and establish and sustain productive employer-employee relationships.” He is a nationally noted author and speaker who focuses on helping management improve employee productivity and accountability, and has published numerous articles on management, organizational leadership and employee relations. The book is published by DaviesBlack.
Matthew Goldberg has joined Kell, Alterman & Runstein in Portland, in the area of bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law. Goldberg is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western districts of Washington, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The American Bar Association recently reappointed him to a second term as associate editor and member of the editorial board for Litigation News. He was also recently appointed to chair the ABA’s subcommittee on lawyer advertising of the Litigation Section’s Ethics and Professionalism Committee.
Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf announces that Joseph Franco has joined the firm as an associate. His practice will focus on complex commercial litigation. Franco has played significant roles in several multimillion-dollar lawsuits, handling critical summary judgment motions and arguing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Although his practice currently focuses on complex civil litigation, Franco has significant experience in the areas of legal malpractice and insurance coverage disputes.
Monty K. VanderMay has moved. Effective Aug. 21, his Salem office relocated to 2085 Commercial St. N.E., Salem, OR 97301; the phone numbers and staff remain the same.
Ball Janik has named Robert W. Wilkinson as partner. Wilkinson joined the firm in 2001. His principal areas of practice include commercial and construction litigation. Wilkinson earned his J.D. degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1999, where he served as an articles editor of the Oregon Law Review. After receiving his law degree, Wilkinson worked for two years as a judicial clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart of the District of Oregon. Wilkinson is admitted to practice in Oregon, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and Washington.
The Portland firm of Ball Janik recently expanded to Seattle. The new office will focus on the firm’s new government contracts practice while extending services in government affairs, construction law and commercial litigation. The office is located at 999 Third Ave., Suite 1520, Seattle, WA 98104; phone: (206) 892-9464.
Donald J. Lewis has joined the intellectual property boutique law firm of Allemen, Hall, McCoy, Russell & Tuttle as an associate. Lewis has more than 10 years of engineering experience at a Fortune 500 company in the area of electronics, embedded software and system design. He also brings to the firm significant experience in developing and managing worldwide patent portfolios as in-house counsel. His practice will focus on patent procurement in the mechanical and electrical arts.
James C. Casterline announces that he is now in a sole practice at 842 Broadway, Seaside, OR 97138. His practice will emphasize real estate, business, elder law and occasional pet trusts. He continues to provide service as an IRC Section 1031 exchange accommodator through Casterline Henriksbo Exchange Service Co., and continues to serve as conservator or trustee in situations where family members are not a resource.
Farleigh Wada Witt announces that Marisol R. McAllister has joined the firm as a transaction attorney, emphasizing real estate, banking and business law. McAllister has several years of experience as a real estate and business transactions adviser. Her practice includes structuring real estate and business transactions with particular emphasis on real estate leasing and financing and real estate purchase and sales.
Sussman Shank announces Robert L. Carlton has been elected managing partner of the firm, effective Oct. 1. Carlton has practiced law with the firm for 20 years and has served in several management positions, most recently as a member of the firm’s management committee. His practice focuses on debtor/creditor rights, bankruptcy, business litigation, loan workouts and asset recovery. He succeeds Jeffrey C. Misley, who served as managing partner for 10 years, and who continues at the firm representing creditors, governmental entities and trustees in all aspects of Chapter 11, 7 and 13 cases.
George W. “Skip” McKallip Jr. has been elected to a two-year term on Sussman Shank’s management committee, effective Oct. 1. The management committee will consist of: Robert L. Carlton, Nena Cook, Steven T. Seguin and McKallip.
Slinde & Nelson welcomes Jason E. Hirshon as a new partner. Hirshon’s practice focuses on general litigation including construction defect, securities and other commercial matters. Hirshon previously worked for Grenley, Rotenberg, Evans, Bragg & Bodie, and he clerked at the general counsel’s office of the California Department of Fish and Game and the California attorney general’s office. Hirshon currently serves on the executive committee of the Oregon New Lawyers Division and received its Volunteer of the Year award in 2008.
David Van’t Hof has joined Lane Powell as a shareholder in the sustainability and climate change practice group, where his practice will focus on sustainability, renewable energy and green building. Van’t Hof previously was the sustainability policy adviser for Gov. Ted Kulongoski, leading the state’s participation in the Western Climate Initiative and helping to develop the state’s nationally recognized climate change and renewable energy policies. In private practice, he has advised clients on complex regulatory matters such as environmental and siting issues for projects including natural gas, wind and hydroelectric facilities.
Sussman Shank welcomes Timothy A. Solomon as an associate in the firm’s bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice group. He earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and his B.A. from Reed College. Solomon has been involved in many of the largest and most complex bankruptcy cases in the country, representing debtors, creditors, committees and trustees. He also has significant experience in general commercial litigation, including trademark, breach of contract and professional negligence cases. He is admitted to practice law in Oregon and New York.
Portland-based Esco Corp. has appointed Kevin Thomas as vice president and corporate secretary. He continues his current responsibilities as general counsel, overseeing the company’s legal affairs. Before joining Esco, Thomas was a corporate lawyer at Stoel Rives. Thomas earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and his executive MBA from the University of Oregon.
Alice Dale, OSB member since 1979 and former officer in the OSB Labor and Employment Section, has accepted a position with UNI Global Union as director of the property services section. UNI is comprised of nearly 900 unions and over 15 million workers. It directly negotiates framework labor agreements with multinational corporations from which affiliates can organize workers and negotiate collective bargaining agreements. Headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, where she and family will live beginning July 2009. Dale was previously president of SEIU Local 49 and executive director of SEIU Local 503, Oregon Public Employees Union.
Ball Janik has named Lisa M. Umscheid as partner. She joined the firm in 2006 and has experience in advising and representing both private and public sector clients in employment matters. She represents small, medium and national clients, as well as public agencies, in federal and state court litigation, in a variety of employment subjects ranging from violations of Title VII to negotiating and drafting employment contracts and everything in between. Umscheid served for six years as senior attorney at Metro and practiced at several private Portland law firms. She has substantial experience advising public entities in public law issues, including the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act, Oregon’s prevailing wage law, the open meetings and public records law, the Oregon Government Standards and Practices Act and the Oregon public contracting code.
Ater Wynne has added three attorneys as associates in its Portland office. Rick Boyd, an associate in the business department, is a patent and intellectual property attorney who brings more than 15 years of engineering experience to his practice. An inventor and holder of at least 10 patents himself, Boyd has written and successfully prosecuted patent applications in a broad array of technical disciplines, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Tom Karnes is an associate in the business department, where he focuses his practice on tax matters and regularly assists clients regarding global trade and general business issues. Karnes has served as a law clerk for both the Oregon Department of Justice’s trial division and the Lewis & Clark Low-Income Taxpayer’s Clinic. Maggie Walter is an associate in the business department. Her practice focuses on emerging and family businesses, as well as estate planning. Prior to law school, Walter worked for a software company in Seattle that created electronic discovery software for the legal industry.
Marcus Eyth, who recently passed the state bar exam and is now licensed to practice in Oregon, is a senior associate in the Portland office of Davis Wright Tremaine. Eyth joined the firm earlier this year as a lateral from Washington, D.C., where he is also licensed to practice. Eyth is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law (J.D.) and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M.). His experience includes advising foreign and U.S. companies on all aspects of construction and government procurement contracting, commercial transactions and litigation matters. He focuses his practice on contract dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration and litigation, and has handled a range of multimillion-dollar complex construction disputes, from breach of contract to design and construction defects.
Corina V. San-Marina has become an associate with the Eugene firm of Hershner Hunter. She graduated from University of Bucharest in 1993, Francis Marion University in 2003 and Charleston School of Law in 2007. After receiving her law degree, San-Marina obtained an LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida in 2008. At Hershner Hunter she will focus on employee benefits and taxation.
Christine Coers-Mitchell and Johnston Mitchell have formed Coers Mitchell Law LLC in Portland. The firm focuses on debtor-creditor rights, bankruptcy and business law. Coers-Mitchell was a partner at Cosgrave Vergeer Kester. Mitchell was a partner at McEwen Gisvold. Contact them at (503) 719-6795 or by mail at 1631 N.E. Broadway, No. 539, Portland, OR 97232.
Fisher & Phillips announces that Richard Meneghello has begun his term as managing partner in the firm’s Portland office. The appointment is part of a planned leadership transition plan that allows for a new office leader every two years. Clarence Belnavis has been the managing partner for the past two years and will continue with the firm. Meneghello focuses much of his practice on disability discrimination defense issues. He was the lead associate attorney before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1999 case of Albertsons v. Kirkingburg, a decision interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act in favor of employers. Besides disability discrimination matters, he commonly appears in court defending claims of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, workers’ compensation discrimination, public accommodation, race discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and family and medical leave discrimination. Meneghello also regularly represents employers in labor grievance arbitrations. He is admitted to the bars of Oregon and Washington and is a regular contributor to area media on labor and employment topics and is a frequent speaker before business organizations.
Ball Janik in Portland has recently welcomed back Dina Alexander as a partner. Alexander originally joined the firm in 2002 after practicing law in both Seattle and San Francisco. With a broad range of real estate experience, her principal area of practice is joint venture, structured finance, real estate workout and public/private partnership work. In the last five years, she represented developers of South Waterfront, a $2 billion, public/private project in the North Macadam area of Portland. In 2008, she had an opportunity to take a professional sabbatical to work as a vice president and general counsel for Williams & Dame Development, a developer in the South Waterfront district.
Swider Medeiros Haver welcomes Spencer I. Trowbridge to the intellectual property, patent and entertainment law practice groups as an associate. Trowbridge comes to the firm from his post as corporate counsel at CD Baby, a digital distributor of sound recordings, where he supervised various domestic and international licensing transactions. Trowbridge also has an extensive background as a professional musician and has composed and recorded music featured in film, video, television and video games. Trowbridge’s areas of focus currently include intellectual property licensing, content distribution and new media.
Swider Medeiros Haver welcomes Mike Moore to the intellectual property, patent and entertainment law practice groups as a contract associate. Moore previously worked at Klarquist Sparkman, prosecuting patents before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as licensing video and audio rights, rights of publicity and musical performance rights. Moore’s areas of focus currently include licensing transactions, patent prosecution and litigation support, as well as entertainment law.
Lawrence B. “Larry” Rew, prominent Eastern Oregon lawyer and bar leader, died July 16, 2009, at his Pendleton home. He was 73.
Rew was born June 22, 1936 in Eugene. He graduated from Pendleton High School, attended Whitman College and received his law degree from Willamette College of Law. He married Judith Masters in 1957 in Pendleton. He was an attorney with the firm of Corey, Byler & Rew in Pendleton.
A second-generation lawyer, Rew first became a partner in 1965 and remained devoted to providing for the legal needs of the poor and under-served. In 1991, the OSB honored Rew with the President’s Public Service Award in recognition of his exceptional pro bono contributions. He, along with Portland lawyer Jay Waldron, was credited with establishing a pro bono standard in Oregon, urging all practitioners to provide at least 40 hours of donated legal services per year. (According to Waldron, however, Rew may have actually contributed 500 to 800 unpaid hours per year.)
Rew was elected to the Board of Governors in 1996. He served as the bar’s first president-elect, and became president in 1999-2000, serving an extended term because of changes in the bar’s leadership year. After serving on the Board of Governors, Rew took only a few months off before reviving the Joint Bench/Bar Commission on Professionalism. He chaired that group through 2002 while also serving on the Agricultural Law Section executive committee (chair, 2003) and the Legal Services Committee (chair, 2004).
Rew was well-known in Pendleton for his association with professional rodeo, as well as several local boards. He served on the board of the Pendleton Round-Up Association from 1978 to 1988, serving a term as its president. He was active also on the boards of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the National Association of Round-Up Committees. Other activities included Jaycees, the Boy Scouts Council, Little League, the Rotary Club, the Oregon Red Angus Association, the Oregon Rangeland Trust and the Pendleton Country Club. In 1989, the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce honored him as First Citizen for his time volunteering in the community and beyond. The Association of Rodeo Committee honored him with the Sam Reed Memorial Award in 1987. He was also chosen the Umatilla County Soil Conservation Man of the Year in 1980.
The Episcopal Church was a big part of his life. He served as attorney to the bishop, and in 1999 he was ordained a deacon in the church. Then in 2007, two years after retirement, at age 71, he was ordained a priest.
Together he and his wife managed the family ranch and business, raising Red Angus cattle. In his free time, he was an avid golfer. He retired in 2005.
Rew is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judith, of Pendleton, a son and daughter, a brother, two sisters, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was buried on the family ranch.