Robert J. McGaughey, an attorney practicing in Portland, recently completed the 2013 edition of the Oregon Corporate Law Handbook, last published in 2006. This book can be browsed at www.law7555.com/orcorp. McGaughey’s practice focuses on business owner disputes and securities litigation.
Rick Glick, a partner in Davis Wright Tremaine’s environmental practice, has been named a winner in the 2013 Client Choice awards by International Law Office and Lexology. The awards are based on surveys of senior corporate counsel and recognize lawyers around the world that stand apart for their excellent client service. Glick focuses his practice on environmental, water and energy law, representing businesses and local governments in a wide range of environmental matters.
John Mansfield, a shareholder in the Portland office of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, has been appointed a three-year term as a 9th Circuit representative for the District Court of Oregon. His duties will include representing the district at 9th Circuit judges’ meetings and conferences. Mansfield focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and advice.
Tom Lindley, chair of Perkins Coie’s environment, energy and resources practice group, recently joined Gov. John Kitzhaber and a small group of business leaders on a business and trade mission to The Netherlands and Germany. While in Europe, Lindley and others met with Dutch businesses about sustainability and green design and with Germany’s parliamentary state secretary to the federal environment minister to discuss natural gas, fracking and renewable energy issues. This trip was sandwiched between two other events where he spoke: one at Yale Law School’s School of Forestry’s 2013 conference on New Directions in Environmental Law (where he addressed environmental planning) and the other at the National Black Law Students Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta (where he spoke on careers in environmental and energy law).
June Wiyrick Flores, attorney in the wealth preservation and family business group at Ater Wynne, was unanimously voted council secretary for the Portland Estate Planning Council. Flores has served one year on the board, and previously to that she was the chair for two years of the estate planning council’s annual seminar. Membership on the planning council board is by invitation only and requires demonstration of skill as an estate planner as judged by one’s peers.
Vince Sliwoski, an associate with Farleigh Wada Witt, has been elected to the Hollywood Theatre Board in Portland. The board is composed of local community, civic, philanthropic and business leaders who assist the organization with matters ranging from strategic planning to public outreach. Sliwoski maintains a diverse practice that includes business transactions and disputes, intellectual property and real estate.
Black Helterline attorney Steve Schell was a presenter at the 31st Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference held in March at the University of Oregon School of Law. The annual conference gathers environmentalists worldwide and is distinguished as the oldest and largest of its kind. The theme of the conference was “Earth — Too Big to Fail.” Schell addressed one aspect of that theme, a session titled “Sea Level Rise Adaptation on the Oregon Coast.”
The Oregon chapter of the Federal Bar Association, comprising approximately 400 federal judges and practitioners, announces that Courtney Angeli and Bryan Lessley are the 2013 recipients of the Hon. James M. Burns Federal Practice Award, recognizing their contributions in improving the quality of federal practice in Oregon. Angeli is a co-founder of the employment law firm Buchanan, Angeli, Altschul & Sullivan, and has extensive experience litigating employment cases through trial in both state and federal courts. Lessley has been an assistant federal public defender in Eugene for 23 years. He has appeared in virtually every kind of case, from petty offenses to capital murder, to complex civil and criminal cases and more. Between 2005 and 2009, he was one of eight lawyers in the Oregon office of the Federal Public Defender to represent Guantanamo detainees, during which he traveled 10 times to Cuba and a like number of times to a classified facility near Washington, D.C.
Kristin Olson and Scott Brooksby have formed Olson Brooksby P.C., a civil litigation defense boutique firm. The firm focuses on the defense of high exposure personal injury and business tort litigation, with an emphasis on product liability cases. The experienced jury trial lawyers have taken numerous cases to verdict. Reach them at 520 S.W. Yamhill St., Suite 200, Portland, OR 97204; phone: (503) 290-2420; website: www.olsonbrooksby.com.
Meng Ouyang has joined Business Law Centre as an associate attorney. In addition to her J.D., Ouyang has degrees in chemistry and computer science. After graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2010, Ouyang served two years as judicial clerk for the Hon. Charles D. Carlson at Lane County Circuit Court. Ouyang is a registered patent attorney and will focus her practice on intellectual property and business law.
Rob Kline has moved Kline Law Offices to the Bank of America Financial Center in downtown Portland. The firm’s new address is 121 S.W. Morrison St., Suite 475, Portland, OR 97204. The telephone and fax numbers remain the same. Kline continues to focus his practice on representing individuals in serious personal injury matters in Oregon and Washington.
Douglas Gallagher Law Office relocated to a new office space, effective April 15. The telephone and facsimile numbers will remain the same. The new address is 245 W. Fifth Ave., Eugene, OR 97401; phone: (541) 357-4021 fax: (541) 357-4029; email: doug@dglawoffice.com; website: www.dglawoffice.com.
Oregon’s Office of the Legislative Counsel welcomes four attorneys. Daniel Gilbert, who practiced at White & Case in Washington, D.C., is a deputy legislative counsel and focuses on elections, government ethics and higher education matters. Maureen McGee, who recently completed a clerkship with Judge Erika Hadlock of the Oregon Court of Appeals, joined the office as a staff attorney. Jessica Minifie, formerly with the Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, works as a deputy legislative counsel and handles criminal law matters. Suzanne Trujillo comes to from Central City Concern in Portland and joined the office as a staff attorney.
Emily Newton Jerome has joined the local government law group at Speer Hoyt. Jerome specializes in providing advice to local governments and will continue to focus on all aspects of government law, with an emphasis on land use.
Ginger Skinner has formed Skinner Law LLC. She focuses her practice on matters involving estate planning, business and nonprofit work. She draws on a broad base of experience having most recently served as general counsel for multiple real estate and finance companies. Prior to her general counsel position, she worked as a tax attorney for a Portland law firm and focused on serving clients with complex estates.
The Law Offices of Geoff Bernhardt welcomes new associate Elizabeth “Liz” Jessop to the firm. Jessop graduated in 2012 from Lewis & Clark, where she was an article editor for the Lewis & Clark Law Review. Her practice will include estate planning, probate and trust administration and elder law. Prior to earning her law degree, she was a trust administrator for a regional bank in California and an estate planning and probate paralegal.
Jennifer A. Bridges has opened a new practice in Medford, effective March 1. Bridges was formerly a shareholder at Davis, Hearn, Bridges & Anderson in Ashland, practicing in the areas of estate planning, real estate and homeowners associations, business formation and agreements and intellectual property. Her new office is located in the Estate Building, 10 Crater Lake Ave., Medford, OR 97504; phone: (541) 608-0118. She can also be reached at jbridges@paracletelaw.com.
John Bachofner has been elected a shareholder and board member of Jordan Ramis. Bachofner joined the firm in 2011 and is a member of the business law practice group. His practice focuses on litigation and jury trials, insurance coverage, product liability, general business, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights issues. He is a member of both the Oregon and Washington state bars. He serves as a delegate to the OSB House of Delegates, board member of the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel and as a member of the Oregon Council on Court Procedures. Outside of his legal practice, Bachofner serves on the board of directors for the Washington Scuba Alliance and is a scuba instructor.
Heather Hepburn and Debbie Garcia have joined Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis in Bend. An experienced attorney and former shareholder at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Hepburn will focus her practice on business, real estate law and employment law, including entity issues, corporate and LLC formations, securities, and mergers and acquisitions. Hepburn is a board member for the Bend Chamber of Commerce and Opportunity Knocks, and from 2009 to 2012, Law & Politics magazine named her a “Rising Star.” Garcia, formerly the product litigation manager for Jeld-Wen, a global manufacturer of windows and doors, will serve as the firm’s administrator, with responsibility for managing the overall business affairs of the firm. Garcia is a member of Cascade Women Lawyers, Deschutes County Bar Association and the Association of Legal Administrators.
Editor’s note: Due to a production error, two items in this column last month appeared with incorrect photographs and information. They are republished below as they should have appeared.
Tasha Cosimo has joined Smith, Freed & Eberhard as an associate attorney. She focuses her litigation practice on automotive and commercial liability claims, including the defense of premise liability and personal injury claims. She can be reached at tcosimo@smithfreed. com.
Stoel Rives has expanded its health care practice group with the addition of two attorneys in the firm’s Portland office. Stephanie A. Cason’s practice focuses on health care matters, with an emphasis on regulation, privacy, technology and data protection issues. She provides corporate, regulatory and transactional advice to a variety of clients involved in the health care field. She previously was an associate at DLA Piper in Washington, D.C., and an associate at the health care boutique firm Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville in Washington, D.C. Sarah L. Bimber focuses on health care regulatory and corporate matters. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Prior to law school, Bimber worked for a large electronic health records software company.
Multnomah Circuit Court Senior Judge Philip Abraham died Jan. 2, 2013, at the age of 84.
Philip Theodore Abraham was born Oct. 22, 1928, the fifth of seven siblings. He was drafted into the Army in 1953 and served as a staff sergeant during the Korean War. He began his legal career working with the city attorney’s office and then became a judge in 1964. He retired as the chief criminal judge of Multnomah County, where he remained a senior judge until his death.
Abraham was respected for his fairness and humility on and off the bench. Family was very important in his life. Known as “Jidoo,” he was loved and respected by those who met him. He was a natural entertainer. He charmed his friends with an infectious smile, made friends laugh with his witty sense of humor and had a propensity to break into song.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patti, their four sons and three daughters, and 14 grandchildren.
Merrill McCarthy died March 8, 2013, in Portland. She was 52.
Merrill Cutler McCarthy was born in Portland on May 18, 1960, and grew up in Lakewood, Wash., where she attended Charles Wright Academy. In 1978, she graduated from Indio High School. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1982 with a history degree. She joined Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, where she formed many enduring friendships.
In 1982, she met Stephen P. McCarthy while attending McGeorge School of Law, where she was a member of the Pacific Law Review. They were admitted to the California bar together in 1985. Recently they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
McCarthy practiced bankruptcy law in Mountain View, Calif., before returning to Oregon in 1989. She practiced bankruptcy law and was a corporate human resources manager in Oregon until her retirement in 2000 to focus on family. She was also active in the community including the Junior League of Portland, Forest Hills Elementary and Lake Oswego Junior High School
She is survived by her husband, Steve, their two daughters, two brothers, and many others.
Loretta “Lorrie” Skurdahl died March 23, 2013, surrounded by her family. She was 57.
Born and raised in Portland, she graduated from Wilson High School, Harvard University and the University of Oregon School of Law.
Skurdahl worked for more than 30 years for Washington County, starting in 1982, rising to senior assistant county counsel. Loved and respected for her cheerfulness and her dry wit, friends at the county and other professionals throughout the community respected her for her willingness to help and her intelligence. Her friends and colleagues admired her wit in tackling the myriad daily challenges, saying they rarely saw her upset or frustrated despite the complexity of the legal issues. She made a special mark around the county and the state with her dedication and knowledge of construction law and public contracting.
Skurdahl loved to grow things and spend time on the family farm in Sherwood. She spent most every weekend and many “vacations” digging, spraying, pruning and driving a tractor. Whether working in the filberts, planting Christmas trees or planting flowers and rhododendrons, she could be seen rain or shine, hard at work. Her co-workers frequently benefitted from the bounty of fruits and vegetables she brought from her orchard to the office, along with a horticultural story or two.
She was never happier than when she was working in her apple orchard. Her famous “Skurdahl Cider” was a special treat every fall, and her heirloom apples are sought still by a number of artisan cider producers. Other growers often sought her valued advice.
She was involved in various organizations, serving on their boards, including the Board for the Hazelnut Growers of Oregon.
Skurdahl is survived by her parents, two brothers, two nieces and four nephews.
Longtime Corvallis attorney and bar leader John B. Fenner died March 24, 2013, in Saratoga, Calif., surrounded by his family. He was 94.
Fenner was born in 1918 in Buffalo, N.Y. He came west from Connecticut in 1931 with his family, settling in Corvallis, where he eventually graduated from Oregon State College (now University).
Fenner earned a business degree in 1940 and was commissioned a second lieutenant after completing ROTC. He was a member of the Oregon State chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He married Dorothy Louise Harstad in 1940 in Milton-Freewater while awaiting active duty orders from the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the 15th Infantry, Third Division, at Fort Lewis, Wash. His orders were signed by then-Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
During the war, Fenner participated in four amphibious landings, including Casablanca, Sicily, Anzio and southern France. In France, because of his facility with languages, he served with the Sixth Army Group as an interpreter for the French Army. He received the U.S. Army’s Bronze Star and the Croix de Guerre from France. In 1960, Fenner retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of colonel.
After the war, Fenner returned to Oregon and became director of the OSC Alumni Association and editor of the alumni magazine, The Oregon Stater. In 1948, he entered Stanford Law School on the G.I. Bill and graduated in 1951. He passed the California and Oregon bar exams, and from 1951 to 1954 he worked as an associate with the law firm of Freed & Failing in Portland.
In 1955, Fenner and his new family returned to Corvallis, where he practiced law for nearly 50 years (and founded the firm Fenner, Barnhisel, Willis & Barlow).
Over the years, Fenner served on the Oregon State Bar’s Board of Governors, Oregon’s Judicial Fitness Commission, the Oregon State University Foundation board, Stanford Law School’s and Lewis & Clark Law School’s boards of visitors, the Corvallis Public Library Board and several other local and regional boards and committees.
He also was president of the OSU Alumni Association. He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, the Corvallis Country Club and the Arlington Club in Portland.
His family enjoyed many gatherings, meals and songs at their condominium at Salishan on the Oregon coast. Fenner always was ready to hit a tennis or golf ball, throw the football, stroll barefoot on the beach, play a hand of bridge or lead the singing with Dorothy at the piano while playing his washtub bass.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, a sister, two sons and four grandchildren. A celebration of his life will take place later this year at the Oregon coast.
Longtime Albany attorney and bar leader Richard “Dick” Kroppdied April 9, 2013, in his Newport home, surrounded by his family. He was 75.
Richard Thomas Kropp was born Nov. 16, 1937, in Albany, residing there until retirement and moving to Newport in 1997. He attended St. Mary’s School, Albany High School and Oregon State University.
Kropp started at the Willamette University of Law in 1959. In just one year, he was clerking at the offices of Willis, Kyle & Emmons. When senior litigator Pat Emmons suffered a debilitating heart attack, Kropp was thrust into the courtroom as a law student. He would research, prepare and file motions. He escorted Sam Kyle to the courtroom and when the time to argue came, Kyle often rose and simply said, “This is my law clerk, Richard T. Kropp. If it pleases the court, he will argue the plaintiff’s position today.” When Kropp graduated at the top of his law school class in 1962, he already had more cases under his belt than many of his classmates would try in a lifetime.
Friends described Kropp as the consummate professional. He arrived at the office early, he worked late and selflessly served his clients.
Although he practiced primarily as a personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyer in Linn County, he had a global knowledge of American jurisprudence. Kropp was committed to improvement in the Oregon bar, serving as the chair of the OSB Worker’s Compensation Section, authoring articles in this publication, contributing chapters to continuing legal education manuals and serving on numerous committees and work groups.
Ultimately, Oregon lawyers elected Kropp to the OSB Board of Bar Governors, and in 1988 he was elected vice president of the Oregon State Bar.
Throughout his career, he acted as mentor to dozens of young lawyers. Three of his associates became judges; many went on to start their own firms. He consistently received high ratings from his peers. After his retirement, his contemporaries gave him the Douglas Daughtry Award for “upholding the highest standards of professionalism, honesty, integrity” and for his “willing adherence to the highest ethical standards.”
He was also a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, exalted ruler and trustee of the local Elks Club and an avid fisherman.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Helen Harrison Kropp, his mother, three daughters, a sister and six grandchildren.
Long-time Portland lawyer Duane Bartsch died April 9, 2013. He was 85.
Duane Albert Bartsch was born May 23, 1927 in Cresbard, S.D., and grew up on the family farm. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon discharge, he attended Willamette University, where he met his future wife, Elaine. He went on to graduate from the University of Washington in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and upon graduation he married Elaine Cloudy Hannah. He then went to work for the West Coast Lumberman’s Association in Portland and attended night classes at the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, where he graduated and was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1958.
Bartsch lived in Portland and practiced law for more than 50 years. He was admitted as a member of the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in 1969. He was a faithful member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church for more than 60 years and served as member of the board of directors for the Northwest District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for 13 years. In addition, he was a founding member of the Concordia University Foundation, Portland.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing from the Dakotas to Alaska, digging razor clams in the Pacific Northwest, cooking family favorites and tending to his beloved rose garden and tomatoes. He looked forward to family road trips, relaxing days at “the cabin” and wouldn’t miss his daily crossword. He was also known for his homemade Christmas candy, dunk, chex mix and hugs. A great sports fan, he passed his love for the Trail Blazers onto the entire family.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine, two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.