Rogelio Cassol, an associate at Arnold Law in Eugene, was recently elected president of the board for the Active 20-30 Club of Eugene. Cassol has been actively involved in Active 20-30 for the past three years, serving as a past project chair of Duck Pen, a popular bike valet service at Duck football home games, and past project chair of the Children’s Charity Raffle, raising $13,000 and $3,300, respectively, for children’s organizations in Lane County. Cassol has previously served on the Eugene Active 20-30’s board as a director, second vice president and first vice president.
The Oregon New Lawyers Division recently honored two lawyers at Barran Liebman. Laura Salerno Owens, an associate, was honored with the Member Services Award for helping organize the 2013 District of Oregon Conference. In her role as the co-chair of the 9th Circuit Lawyer Representatives for the District of Oregon, she worked with a committee of leaders from the Federal Bar Association and the U.S. District Court of Oregon to bring together more than 60 presenters to speak at the “Innovations in the Law: Science & Technology” conference. Traci Ray, the firm’s executive director, was recognized with Project of the Year Award for initiating Oregon’s first Wills for Heroes project, wherein 40 volunteers prepared and executed estate planning documents for 100 first responders in one day.
Jeff Bowersox has been appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee prosecuting medical device product liability claims in the nationwide litigation against Stryker Corp. for its Rejuvenate and ABG II artificial hip implants. The Hon. Donovan W. Frank, U.S. District Court judge in St. Paul, Minn., appointed Bowersox to the committee in early November. Bowersox will serve with other attorneys appointed from around the country, who will strategize and coordinate all discovery proceedings, scientific investigation, pretrial preparation and bellwether trials on behalf of injured plaintiffs against Stryker and related entities.
Bruce Howell, shareholder at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, will teach “Healthcare Law: The Affordable Care Act” as an adjunct professor of law at the Willamette University College of Law starting Jan. 7. Howell focuses his practice on various aspects of health law, including reimbursement, fraud and abuse, physician practice management issues and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. He also handles cases involving genetics, organ transplant technology, reproductive technology and clinical research. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.
Lance Caldwell became a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, at the recent 2013 annual meeting of the college in San Francisco. Caldwell is a 1977 alumnus of the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. He was a deputy district attorney for Multnomah County until 1980 and in private practice handling commercial litigation until 1982, when he became an assistant United States attorney for the District of Oregon. During 29 years with the U.S. Department of Justice, he served as chief of the civil division and in the criminal division, handling complex white collar cases. He was chief of the fraud unit of the criminal division prior to leaving federal service in 2011. He is currently a sole practitioner specializing in federal white-collar criminal defense, expert services and consulting. His practice also includes civil and criminal case mediation services. Reach him at Lance.Caldwell@comcast.net.
A leading animal health/veterinary industry magazine has asked Tonkon Torp attorney Mark Cushing to blog weekly on policy issues affecting both pet and food production animals and veterinarians. Cushing’s blog, Veterinary Policy Notes (www.dvm360.com/cushing), is hosted by DVM 360. Cushing is founding partner of the animal policy group at Tonkon Torp. He formed the group in 2011 in response to the increased complexity of animal health and welfare issues affecting businesses, veterinary professionals, universities and nonprofit organizations. A long-time political strategist and lobbyist, Cushing also chairs the government relations and public policy practice at Tonkon Torp. He developed expertise and experience in animal-related matters over the past 12 years while working on behalf of clients including Banfield Pet Hospital, the world’s largest veterinary practice, Mars Petcare, the world’s largest pet food manufacturers, Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), the world’s largest animal pharmaceutical manufacturer, several veterinary colleges and the American Humane Association. Cushing is a frequent speaker at animal policy conferences.
The Hon. Lynn Nakamoto is the first Oregon recipient of the National Trailblazer Award, recognizing her outstanding contributions to Asian Pacific American attorneys. The award was presented at a special ceremony at the 25th National Asian Pacific American Bar Association in Kansas City, Mo. Nakamoto is among the first recipients of the Sen. Daniel Inouye Trailblazer Award, the association’s highest national honor.
Trung Tu was officially inducted for his second term as Northwest regional governor for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association at the association’s annual convention in November. He is a partner at McEwen Gisvold, where he specializes in business litigation, legal malpractice defense and employment law. The Northwest region encompasses Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
Sharon Rudnick, shareholder and attorney with Harrang Long Gary Rudnick, was recently named 2013 Woman Business Leader of the Year by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Rudnick, who received her law degree from the University of California Los Angeles, moved to Eugene in 1981. After clerking with Senior District Judge William East for two years, she joined the firm now known as Harrang Long Gary Rudnick. In 1987, she was made a shareholder. In 1993, six years after becoming a shareholder, her colleagues made her one of the first women to be a named partner among firms of comparable size in Oregon. Rudnick handled negotiations for the first faculty union collective bargaining agreement for the University of Oregon, “which is being discussed and lauded nationally,” according to chamber officials. Rudnick has a wide-ranging list of prominent clients, including the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the Relief Nursery, the Register Guard and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. In addition to her professional work, Rudnick was recognized for her community involvement, from hosting charitable events in her home to incorporating charitable giving into the law firm’s operations, including major gifts to building the U.O. School of Law and the Eugene Public Library. As president of Eugene’s Temple Beth Israel, she helped lead the congregation through the process leading to building and dedicating its new synagogue in 2008, raising $4 million toward a capital campaign. She also has been a major supporter of organizations and causes such as the Campaign for Equal Justice in Lane County, the Boys & Girls Club, United Way, the Relief Nursery and an organization that assists women in third-world countries.
Stoel Rives partner Emily Karrhas been awarded the Creative Business Volunteer Award by Business for Culture and the Arts at the organization’s annual Arts Breakfast of Champions. Karr was recognized for her leadership role as chair of the Library Foundation and her commitment to the arts. She focuses her law practice on estate and financial planning, personal tax planning and administration of trusts and estates. She is also a legal adviser for various nonprofit organizations and planned giving committees, and is the vice chair of the Northwest Academy’s Board of Trustees and a member of the planned giving advisory council at the Carter Center.
St. Mary’s Academy has appointed attorney C. Kent Roberts as chair of its board of directors. Roberts, a shareholder at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, has served on the school’s board since 2009. Roberts focuses his legal practice in the areas of closely held businesses and maritime industry clients, particularly vessel-operating companies, shipyards and ports. His practice includes shipping, finance and vessel-related legal matters for his business clients, commercial and maritime litigation, and representation of clients before regulatory bodies. Roberts’ daughter, Sally, is a 2008 graduate of St. Mary’s, Oregon’s only all-female school.
Lewis & Clark Law School will honor Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl A. Albrechtwith the Larry K. Amburgey Commitment to Public Interest Law Award at the Annual Public Interest Law Project (PILP) Auction on Feb. 7 at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Albrecht is a 1993 graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. As a law student, Albrecht was among the earliest students involved in PILP, raising funds so law students could afford to take unpaid summer positions with public interest employers. As a graduate, she has remained involved in the law school’s work including serving as a member of PILP’s advisory board. The Amburgey Award recognizes graduates who demonstrate long-term and loyal commitment to the public interest law program at the law school. Additional information on the auction and the awards presentation can be found online at law.lclark.edu/student_groups/public_interest_law_project/auction/.
Robert Banks was recently honored with a lifetime director emeritus designation by the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association at its 2013 annual meeting in Orlando. He served as PIABA president in 2006 and on the board from 2000 to 2010. PIABA is an international bar association whose members represent investors in disputes with the securities industry.
University of Oregon School of Law Professor Mary Woodwill be a keynote speaker at the 2014 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, “Running Into Running Out.” Wood is the Philip H. Knight Professor of Law and faculty director for the school’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program. She frequently speaks on global climate change issues and originated the Atmospheric Trust Litigation approach, which holds governments worldwide accountable for reducing carbon pollution within their jurisdictions. She has published extensively on climate crisis, natural resources and native law issues. Her latest book, Nature’s Trust: Environmental Law for a New Ecological Age, defines the frontiers of public trust law and maps out a full paradigm shift for the way in which government agencies manage public resources.
Greg Macpherson of Stoel Rives was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel during its annual induction dinner Nov. 9 in New Orleans. Macpherson is a partner in the employee benefits group at Stoel Rives and has extensive experience with issues and controversies related to unfunded pension liabilities. He was selected by “Best Lawyers” as Portland Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Lawyer of the Year for 2014 and has been listed in “Best Lawyers” in America since 1995.
Jay Waldron, shareholder in the Portland office of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, has been elected chair of the board of directors of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Waldron has served on the board for six years. OHSU is Portland’s largest employer, with more than 14,000 employees and a budget in excess of $2 billion. Waldron practices environmental and energy law, siting large facilities and representing clients in trial and appellate courts. He has served as chair of the Port of Portland Commission, and he currently sits on the board of Lewis & Clark College.
Miller Nash welcomes Jonathan Singer and Kellen Norwood to the firm’s Portland office as associates. Singer joins the litigation practice team, where he will focus on civil litigation with an emphasis on securities, products liability and other commercial matters. Singer previously practiced law in the Washington, D.C., office of O’Melveny & Myers. Norwood will focus on supporting the firm’s educational institution clients through the firm’s employment and education law practices. He received his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School, where he was a member of the Cornelius Honor Society and editor in chief of the Lewis & Clark Law Review.
Jeff Ellsworth has joined Buckley Law as an associate in the firm’s business and real estate transactions department, primarily working with the business law and estate planning practice groups. Ellsworth previously practiced law in Bend. He will continue to focus his practice on business law, real estate law, estate planning, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. He has experience working with closely held businesses and with business owners on various matters including formation of a business, transition planning and business sales or acquisition. Ellsworth received his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, where he served as the president of the Business Law Society.
Dunn Carney welcomes Michael D. Crew as of counsel and Brian M. Parrott as an associate. Crew’s practice will focus on health care and business law. He will head up the health care team at the firm. Crew previously was a partner at Cooney & Crew. Parrott’s practice will focus on health care and business law and he will also be a member of the health care team. Parrott was an associate with Cooney & Crew. He has a J.D. and MBA from Willamette University.
Christina Anh Ho has joined Smith, Freed & Eberhard as an associate attorney. She will assist clients firmwide on different aspects of insurance defense and litigation. She has previous experience representing clients in commercial disputes. She also possesses alternative dispute resolution skills and has worked closely with small startup companies and large organizations. Reach her at cho@smithfreed.com.
Gavin Gruberhas joined Smith, Freed & Eberhard as an associate attorney. His practice will focus primarily on construction and development and business litigation. He joins the firm with an extensive litigation background, having been the lead attorney on more than 50 construction defect cases and approximately 20 employment matters. He can be reached at ggruber@smithfreed.com.
McKinley Irvin has named Collin McKean partner-in-charge of the firm’s Portland office. McKean is skilled in high-asset dissolution matters and complex child custody cases. As partner-in-charge, McKean will lead the growing office guided by a commitment to the Portland community and strong background in business and accounting. For more information about McKinley Irvin, visit http://www.McKinleyIrvin.com
Samuel C. Kauffman and Jamie S. Kilbergrecently joined forces to form Kauffman Kilberg. Kauffman and Kilberg practice criminal defense in federal and state courts, including white-collar criminal defense, environmental criminal defense, investigations and counseling. Kilberg also maintains an active employment defense practice. Prior to opening the new firm, Kauffman was a partner and former chair of the white-collar and investigations group at Garvey Schubert Barer; Kilberg was of counsel at Stoel Rives in the litigation practice group. Both serve on the executive committee of the OSB Criminal Law Section; Kauffman is a past chair, and Kilberg is the current secretary.
Richard L. Larson has joined Harrang Long Gary Rudnick as part of the Eugene office. His established law practice will continue to focus on estate planning as well as real estate transactions and financing, including low-income housing tax credit matters. He also advises clients in a wide variety of industries and occupations regarding legal and tax considerations incident to the formation, expansion, sale and dissolution of corporations, partnerships and associations. Larson was previously a partner with Johnson, Johnson, Larson & Schaller in Eugene.
Danford Earl Bickmore has been appointed senior vice president and chief compliance officer of GM Financial, a $30 billion subsidiary of General Motors Co., which provides auto lending and leasing products and services to more than 14,000 auto dealers and consumers throughout the United States and in 17 countries. Bickmore is responsible for both U.S. and international regulatory compliance. U.S. compliance activities focus primarily on compliance with federal consumer financial protection laws, including fair lending, privacy/data protection, truth in lending and leasing, and related federal regulations, as well as state laws and regulations affecting lending and leasing operations. International compliance activities focus on anti-bribery/anti-corruption laws, money laundering, data privacy and a host of country specific laws and regulations. Bickmore comes to GM Financial after 20 years with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, most recently as assistant general counsel and the manager of the company’s legal regulatory group. He can be reached at GM Financial, 801 Cherry St., Suite 3400, Fort Worth, TX 76102; phone: (817) 302 7127.
Jordan Ramis has added municipal and local government attorney Shelby Rihala, who joins the firm as an associate. She focuses her practice on government law, including public contracting, government ethics and public records. She has extensive experience drafting ordinances, intergovernmental agreements, contracts and other legal documents pertaining to sustainability, environmental, natural resources, land use and wetlands law. She previously served as city attorney for several Oregon municipalities and also worked as the chief of staff to an Oregon state senator and as a government affairs associate for Washington County. Rihala currently serves as a judge advocate for the Oregon Air National Guard.
Gevurtz Menashe welcomes two new associate attorneys, Catherine E. Barker and Christopher J. Graves. Both will handle family law-related matters in Oregon. Barker received her law degree from the University of Kansas. She spent seven years practicing family law in Kansas before returning to Portland, where she began her legal career in 2002. She will continue her family law practice handling divorce, custody and support cases. Graves recently received his law degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark in May 2013. He is a new member of the Oregon State Bar and is handling general family law matters in Oregon.
Iris Tilley has been named a partner at Barran Liebman. She has been with the firm since 2009 and advises employers in all aspects of employee benefits, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA and health care reform. Tilley is on the Oregon Women Lawyers board and is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington.
Joel S. DeVore, Erin C. Lagesen and Douglas L. Tookey have been sworn in to serve in the three new positions on the Oregon Court of Appeals created by the passage of House Bill 4026 in 2012. The three were appointed to the court by Gov. John A. Kitzhaber in October. Prior to their appointments, DeVore was in private practice at the law firm of Luvaas Cobb, Lagesen worked in the appellate division of the Oregon Department of Justice, and Tookey worked in the Office of Legislative Counsel for the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
Damien R. Hall has joined Ball Janik in the Portland office as an associate practicing with the land use and real estate groups. Hall has worked for several years representing both property owners and local governments, helping them navigate Oregon’s unique land use requirements and political sensitivities to controlled growth and land development. With a background in urban planning and development, he regularly assists clients with land use matters, real estate transactions, natural resources law, municipal law, and formation and organization of business entities. Hall is actively involved in development issues in Portland. He is on the board of directors for Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Inc., and is also presently chair of the Portland Development Commission’s Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee. Hall is a member of the Young Leaders group of the Urban Land Institute of Oregon and SW Washington and he is a member of the Developing Leaders Committee of the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. He participated in the PDC’s N/NE Economic Development Initiative Advisory Committee in 2010-2011 and in the city of Portland’s North/Northeast Quadrant of I-5 Broadway/Weidler Stakeholder Advisory Committee in 2011-2012. In addition to his active professional engagements, Hall serves as a board member of Groundwork Portland. He also represented “Verde — Let Us Build Cully Park!” as pro bono counsel.
The Oregon Crime Victim Law Center has added staff attorney Melanie Kebler. Kebler spent four years as a prosecutor in both Lincoln and Yamhill counties, focusing on crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault. As a staff attorney at OCVLC, Kebler will be handling cases involving victims of any crime around the state. Prior to attending law school at Lewis & Clark in Portland, she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2005.
Alexandra P. Hilsher has joined Hershner Hunter as an associate. Hilsher graduated third in her class from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2011. Following law school, she spent two years as a judicial clerk for the Hon. Timothy J. Sercombe of the Oregon Court of Appeals. Her practice will focus on business litigation and business transactions.
Kate Kilberg and Justine Thedehave joined Thede, Culpepper, Moore, Munro & Silliman. The focus of their practices and the entire law firm is estate and trust planning and administration, charitable planning, business, tax and compensation planning, and representing the needs of tax-exempt charitable organizations in Oregon and Washington.
J. Chris Duckworth joined Bullard Law as an associate. He represents both public and private sector clients in labor and employment issues.
Mike Williams, Linda Love, Leslie O’Leary and Tom Powers, partners in Williams Love O’Leary & Powers, in Beaverton, announce the following new developments: Williams and O’Leary will continue practicing as Williams O’Leary and will continue to represent plaintiffs injured by defective drugs, medical devices, other dangerous products and medical negligence, as well as to handle consumer class actions against insurance companies and other financial institutions for unfair dealing. Love will practice as Linda Love, Attorney at Law. She will continue to represent injured consumers and to resolve and litigate civil and administrative disputes. She will also serve as a patient advocate for those who have suffered physical injuries as a result of medical treatment, “adverse health care incidents,” which can be reported and resolved under the new Oregon law starting July 2014. Powers will continue his practice as Thomas Powers, Attorney at Law, in eastern Oregon. He will continue to handle personal injury and wrongful death cases, criminal defense, commercial litigation, nursing home negligence, elder abuse and insurance coverage disputes. The firm’s associate, Steve Seal, has accepted a position as associate with the Berkshire Ginsberg firm in Portland. While reorganizing and separating their practices, Williams, Love O’Leary & Powers will continue to work together as friends on several cases. Both Love and Powers will be working with Williams O’Leary as of counsel as they finish up a few remaining jointly shared cases. Meanwhile, Williams and Love continue their 13-year marital relationship.
Jessica Morgan has joined Tonkon Torp as an associate in the firm’s financial services and investment management practice group. She previously was assistant general counsel to Aequitas Capital Management Inc., advising on investment company compliance, governance and regulatory matters for new funds and products. She was also was responsible for business-unit risk assessments, development of an internal compliance management system and for monitoring and communication with federal and state regulatory bodies on registration, licensing, compliance and corporate governance matters. Prior to her nearly five-year tenure at Aequitas, Morgan assisted in the start-up of a Bend-based online retail store for children’s outdoor gear.
Investigations expert David C. Cook recently joined Guidepost Solutions in its San Francisco office as a senior managing director. Cook will focus on building the company’s investigations, litigation support and due diligence practices. Cook’s 30 years of experience includes investigations and litigation support related to fraud, theft of trade secrets, acquisitions, proxy battles, investments, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, whistle blower allegations and embezzlement.
Deborah Keller has joined the Hingson Law Firm in its Portland office. Keller’s practice will continue to focus on probate and trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, Medicaid, estate planning, advising nonprofits and assisting with real property and business transactions. She may be reached at (503) 639-4800 or by email at deborah@hingson law.com.
The Hingson Law Firm has opened a satellite office location in Newport to serve clients along the central Oregon coast. Phil Hingson will divide his time between the Portland and Newport offices. The Newport office is located at 130 N.E. Fourth St., Suite A, Newport, OR 97365; phone: (541) 265-8311; email: phil@hingsonlaw.com. The new mailing address for both locations is P.O. Box 230326, Portland, OR 97281.
Jennie L. Bricker has opened Jennie Bricker Law and Mediation. Until the end of 2013, Bricker was a partner at Stoel Rives, where she practiced natural resources and real estate law for 15 years. Her new practice will focus on mediation of property- and resource-related disputes, real property and general business transactions and natural resources permitting and regulation. She can be reached at (503) 928-0976 or jennie@jbrickerlaw.com.
In Memoriam will return next month.