Harry Wilson, attorney with Markowitz Herbold in Portland, has been recognized by Lewis & Clark Law School as its 2016 Rising Star. The law school recently presented the award to Wilson in “recognition of his professional excellence and achievements as a litigator, his zealous advocacy on behalf of his clients, and his commitment to supporting the mission of De Paul Treatment Centers.” Wilson represents clients in complex litigation involving contracts, business torts, securities and employment in state, federal and international forums. He has worked on cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, an international tribunal in
The Campaign for Equal Justice Board of Directors has honored Ira Zarov, former CEO of the OSB Professional Liability Fund, with the Henry Hewitt Access to Justice Award, recognizing his leadership, consistent effort and commitment to equal justice under the law. Zarov was one of the founders of the Campaign for Equal Justice, so it was particularly fitting to honor him at CEJ’s 25th anniversary dinner this year. Before joining the PLF in 2000, he served as executive director of Oregon Legal Services, later Legal Aid Services of Oregon. He retired in 2014 but continues to serve on the campaign’s board of directors.
The Oregon chapter of the American Constitution Society has selected Julie Stevens as the 2016 Hans A. Linde Award recipient. The award is given annually to one who promotes the values of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality and access to justice. Stevens was recognized for her career at Legal Aid Services of Oregon, described as a “perfect example of a life furthering the fight for access to justice.” The award was presented at the ACS Annual Dinner on March 2 in Portland.
Sussman Shank has been named one of the 2016 “100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon” by Oregon Business magazine, the firm’s 11th year to make the list. The rankings are based on confidential employee surveys measuring employee satisfaction in five categories, including benefits and compensation, work environment, decision-making and trust, performance management, and career development and learning.
Stoll Berne shareholder Mark Friel recently joined the Amicus Committee of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. Friel, who leads his firm’s team of appellate lawyers, focuses his practice on appeals, alternative dispute resolution, business litigation, class actions, securities and antitrust.
Alison R. Kean has been appointed to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission by Gov. Kate Brown, and confirmed by the Oregon Senate, for a four-year term that began in February. Kean will remain as general counsel for Metro regional government, where she has served as legal counsel for 20 years.
Lane Powell has been named “Oregon Firm of the Year” for 2016 by Benchmark Litigation for the second consecutive year. The firm was recognized for the strength of its case matters during 2015, including precedents set or verdicts with notable high-dollar amounts at stake.
Albert A. Menashe,co-founder and shareholder of Gevurtz Menashe, has been named to the Children’s Cancer Association board of directors. The association provides support for 20,000 seriously ill children, teens and their family members, raising $33.9 million since 1995. Menashe dedicates his practice exclusively to family law including divorce, relationship agreements, same-sex marriage issues and custody and parenting issues.
Lane Powell shareholder Julie M. Engbloomhas been selected as a member of the 2016 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) class of fellows, a program created to identify, train and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Engbloom is the fourth Lane Powell attorney to participate in the program. Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 240 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession.
Oregon lawyer Donald Joe Willis,a shareholder with Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, has been recognized by the Owners’ Counsel of America, a nationwide network of condemnation and property rights attorneys, with the 2016 Crystal Eagle Award for his efforts over more than four decades representing private property owners in land use, condemnation and regulatory takings litigation in Oregon and nationally. Throughout his career, Willis has argued many condemnation cases before courts and juries, and has also successfully litigated numerous land use cases involving the validity and application of government regulations before the Land Use Board of Appeals and in state and federal courts, including Dolan v. City of Tigard and State ex rel English v. Multnomah County.
Lake Oswego trial attorney Keith Dozierhas been elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Oregon chapter of the organization.
Tonkon Torp attorney Eric Beach has been elected secretary of the board of directors for Building Blocks to Success, a Portland-based nonprofit organization that serves ethnically and gender-diverse youth from North and Northeast Portland by promotiong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). In these activities, Beach has also served as a team mentor and coach during the Lego Robotics, 2014 and 2015 seasons. Prior to entering law school, he worked for 12 years as a software developer and architect. He is a member of his firm’s business department and focuses his practice on intellectual property matters.
Tonkon Torp attorney Haley Miller Morrison has been elected as chair of the board of directors of Playworks Pacific Northwest, the regional arm of the national nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of children through physical activity and safe, meaningful play. Morrison joined the board in October 2015. She is a member of the firm’s labor and employment practice group.
K&L Gates was recently ranked 11th of more than 400 firms identified by corporate counsel in the 2016 BTI Brand Elite: Client Perceptions of the Best-Branded Law Firmsreport. This is the third straight year the firm has moved up in the rankings, from 13th and 15th spots in the 2015 and 2014 surveys, respectively.
Al Larsen has received the Award for Excellence in Investigations from the statutorily established Council of Inspectors General. Using a highly unusual approach to an integrity investigation, he presented investigative results directly to the president of the United States, establishing statutory violations by the head of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, resulting in congressional hearings and the president’s removing that agency head from the position. Larsen is the general counsel to the inspector general for the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as assistant inspector general for congressional and public affairs.
Jordan Ramis shareholder Doug Cushing was recently awarded the 2016 Community Leader of the Year Award by the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to the city. He has been involved with the Lake Oswego chamber for the last 10 years, served as president for two years and is the past chair of its nominating and tourism grant committees. Cushing’s law practice encompasses more than 40 years of experience in creditors’ rights, estate planning/probate, and business law.
Richard W. Funk has joined the Bend firm Merrill O’Sullivan of counsel. Funk was a partner in the law firm Duerst & Funk for the last eight years and has been practicing family law for 30 years. He will continue to limit his practice to family law, wills and prenuptial agreements.
Donna L. Lee has become a partner in the Portland office of Hart Wagner. Lee’s practice focuses on medical professional malpractice defense. She defends physicians, nurses, dentists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors and other health care providers in malpractice lawsuits in Oregon and Washington’s state and federal courts. Lee also regularly represents medical professionals in state licensing and professional credentialing board matters.
Tabitha Koh has been named a partner with Bouneff, Chally & Koh. She joined the firm in 2009 and practices in the areas of surrogacy, assisted reproductive technology and adoption. She also has a growing special needs and estate planning practice. Koh is co-author of the Oregon State Bar family law publication’s chapter on adoption and is the legal director of Northwest Surrogacy Center. She is licensed to practice in Oregon, Washington and California.
Anne Koch has joined Wyse Kadish. She will continue to represent creative businesses and individuals in the areas of business and corporate transactions, contracts and licensing. Koch brings 15 years of experience in the prosecution, enforcement and defense of trademarks and copyrights. She is the 2016 chair of the OSB Intellectual Property Section and is the treasurer and a member of the board of Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Koch previously practiced with Day & Koch.
Landye Bennett Blumstein has named Christine N. Mooreas a partner. Moore joined the firm in 2013 and focuses her practice on appellate law, employment litigation and business litigation in both state and federal court. Moore is admitted to practice in Oregon, Nevada, Washington, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
The Grants Pass firm of Cauble, Cauble & Selvig (formerly Cauble & Cauble) has added Rachele Selvig as a partner of the firm. She will continue her practice in the areas of civil litigation, simple and complex estate planning, probate and trust administration, elder law, guardianships and conservatorships and business/real estate transactions in state and federal courts. Selvig is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School and Reed College.
Western Rivers Conservancy, an organization dedicated to the protection of the West’s outstanding river ecosystems, welcomes Ethan Hasenstein as its corporate counsel. Hasenstein was previously in private practice in Corvallis and with the Oregon Department of Justice. He will provide legal support in river- land transactions, fundraising and governance matters.
Sarah C. Subias has become a shareholder with Watkinson Laird Rubenstein. Subias is a 2009 graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law. Her practice focuses on estate planning and administration, including tax planning, business and business succession planning, and complex trust and probate administration.
Rene Gonzalez announces the formation of Eastbank Legal in Portland’s central eastside industrial district. Gonzales previously served in various leadership roles at Knowledge Universe, including assistant general counsel, corporate affairs, after starting his career at Stoel Rives. The new firm will focus primarily on corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, governance, commercial matters (including IT and service agreements) and real estate. The firm will also provide consulting services to legal departments in the areas of department management and technology.
Hal Scoggins has been reelected president of the Portland law firm Farleigh Wada Witt, effective Jan. 1. He will continue to serve on the 2016 executive committee with Brian Witt, Mark McCulloch and Paul Migchelbrink. Scroggins continues to focus his practice on financial services.
Experienced attorney Frank Langfitt has joined Miller Nash Graham & Dunn as senior counsel, bringing a broad background and decades of experience in business and commercial disputes, including insurance coverage and corporate governance. He practiced previously for 15 years at Ater Wynne, where he focused on business and commercial disputes, insurance coverage, corporate governance and environmental disputes. He frequently organizes and presents at seminars on risk-management topics, including cybersecurity.
David W. Cramer has joined Gordon & Rees as an associate attorney. His practice will focus on labor and employment law and complex litigation, including products liability defense. His previous practice included defending drug and medical device manufacturers and automotive manufacturers. He also has defended clients in construction defect and toxic tort litigation and has advised insurers in coverage matters.
John Dunbar has joined Larkins Vacura as a partner. For five years, Dunbar headed the special litigation unit at the Oregon Department of Justice. Serving under two different Oregon attorneys general, Dunbar led a trial team that focused on many of the state’s most important cases, including high-profile constitutional challenges, tort claims against the state, complex regulatory cases and environmental litigation. Dunbar’s diverse background includes in-depth forays into healthcare issues, environmental disputes, intellectual property, consumer disputes and regulatory litigation. He also has represented private clients and the state in conducting or defending various investigations, including representing the state in investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice. Before joining the justice department, Dunbar was a partner at the Portland law firm Ball Janik for almost 20 years, where he handled innumerable commercial, fraud and environmental cases.
(Portland attorney Kathy Black recently relocated to Albuquerque, N.M., and was admitted to the State Bar of New Mexico in December 2015. Black remains an attorney for the U.S. Department of Energy, now representing the Southwestern Power Administration based in Tulsa, Okla. Additionally, in January 2016, Black was elected to the board of directors for the Drum Corps International, a youth arts and education nonprofit based in Indianapolis.
Eric Pickard has joined the Reynolds Defense Firm as its newest associate attorney. The recent University of Oregon School of Law graduate brings with him prosecutorial knowledge and skills gained while working with both the Lane County district attorney’s office and the Oregon Department of Justice. The Portland firm specializes exclusively on representing persons facing DUI and related charges.
Caitlin Wong has joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt’s Portland office as an associate in the tax and estate planning group. Wong has experience helping clients with all aspects of taxation, including tax planning, audits, appeals, tax court litigation and collections. Her estate planning experience includes preparing wills and trusts, engaging in strategic planning to minimize estate taxes, and administering trusts and probates. Wong is the chair of the Oregon New Tax Lawyers Committee.
Chris Burnett announces the opening of his own law firm, Burnett Law, located at 1915 N.W. Amberglen Parkway, Suite 400, in Beaverton. He will continue to focus on family law, estate planning, probate and guardianships/conservatorships.
Roy D. Pyatt has been elected a shareholder in the Landerholm firm in Vancouver. Pyatt is a real estate attorney who focuses on landlord/tenant, creditors’ rights and construction matters. He can be reached at (360) 696-2540 or roy.pyatt@landerholm.com.
Charley Gee has opened his own law practice, Charley Gee P.C., in the Thomas Mann Building in Portland. He will exclusively represent injured people against insurance companies and corporations in personal injury, wrongful death and product liability cases. He will continue to focus his law practice on education, advocacy and litigation on behalf of injured bicyclists and pedestrians. Gee also serves as board president of Umbrella, a Portland-based fiscal sponsor nonprofit with projects that include Better Block PDX, Disaster Relief Trials and CycloFemme PDX. Reach him at 820 S.W. Second Ave., Suite 407, Portland, OR 97204; phone: (503) 473-7334; email: cgee@injuryoregon.com; or websites: www.injuryoregon.com and www.oregonbikelawyer.com.
Brad Young has joined Japan Display Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, a manufacturer of LCD and OLED display units used in smartphones, automobiles, medical devices and other devices. As general counsel for global business alliances, Young will be responsible for legal matters related to the company’s global strategic alliances, joint ventures and business relationships. He previously was legal director and corporate secretary for Sanyo for more than 17 years in San Diego.
Jessica L. McConnell has become a partner with Greene & Markley. She concentrates her law practice on federal, state and local tax controversies, including tax audits, offers in compromise and tax collection matters. McConnell joined Greene & Markley as a paralegal in 2004 and was promoted to associate in 2008 after earning her law degree and federal tax law certificate from Lewis & Clark Law School. McConnell volunteers at the OSB pro bono bankruptcy clinic and on multiple bar committees and continuing legal education seminars, most recently at the OSB Family Law Section 2015 Annual Conference.
Brian Jolly has become a partner of Kivel & Howard. Jolly practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, probate, nonprofit organizations and business transactions. He is engaged with various Portland nonprofits, including serving as the current board president of Chess for Success. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Institute for Youth Success at Education Northwest (formerly Oregon Mentors).
Miller Nash Graham & Dunn has announced the promotion of Kay Abramowitz and June Wiyrick Flores to partner. Both attorneys are part of the firm’s trusts and estates practice. Abramowitz has more than 30 years of experience in trusts, estates and business law. She specializes in providing advice to family-owned businesses, often advising on succession planning to help smoothly transition businesses to the next generation, or in helping businesses transition their profits to philanthropic causes. Abramowitz is active in the Portland community and currently serves on the board of the Portland Opera, Meals on Wheels People and the University Club of Portland. Wiyrick Flores works with individuals, families and closely-held businesses to develop and implement their personal and business succession strategies. She assists fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate, probate and trust administration. Wiyrick Flores also counsels tax-exempt and charitable organizations with formation, governance and operations matters. She is highly engaged in the community and participates on several boards, including the Randall Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Estate Planning Council of Portland, the OSU Austin Family Business Program and the Portland Tax Forum.
Environmental attorney Ilene Munk Gaekwad has joined Foley & Mansfield. She has substantial experience representing clients in Superfund sites and a strong legal background that includes working as an enforcement attorney for the EPA. She represented clients in Superfund matters in several states, including the Portland harbor Superfund site in Portland. She currently serves as vice chair for the American Bar Association Superfund Committee. In addition, she is a member of OSB Environment and Natural Resource Section and serves as a mentor for the OSB New Lawyer Mentoring program.
Zemper Eiva Law has moved to the Parkview Place building in the heart of downtown Eugene. The firm launched in 2015 with partners Travis Eiva and Erin Zemper. The practice focuses on tort claims including personal injury, wrongful death, professional negligence, insurance bad faith and crime victim representation. The new offices are located at 101 E. Broadway, Suite 303 Eugene, OR 97401.
Jessica Lewicki has joined the Portland office of Williams Kastner in the firm’s business litigation group. Her practice focuses on products and premises liability defense. Prior to joining the firm, Lewicki clerked for the Hon. Judge Katharine Weber at Clackamas County Circuit Court.
Kimberlee Petrie Volm has joined Cosgrave Vergeer Kester an associate attorney in the firm’s professional liability and railroad practice groups. Her practice will focus on defending legal malpractice actions, Federal Employers Liability Act claims and representing businesses and individuals in personal injury actions. Since 2014, she has represented businesses and individuals in civil litigation matters in Portland and Chicago. She previously worked as a deputy public defender for the Office of Public Defense Services as an appellate attorney, representing clients in the Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Supreme Court.
Garvey Schubert Barer owner Eric Lindenauer has been appointed to serve as the managing director of the Portland office and as a member of the firm’s executive committee. Lindenauer’s practice focuses on health care, employment and insurance. He has extensive experience litigating complex disputes and advising clients in these areas.
Karri Kuenzli Bradley has joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt as a shareholder in the firm’s intellectual property practice group in Portland. She practices all aspects of intellectual property law, focusing on patent procurement, trademark procurement, trademark enforcement, preparation of patent infringement/validity opinions, IP licensing and handling domain name disputes under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy. She also prepares patentability opinions, freedom-to-operate opinions, non-infringement opinions and invalidity opinions. She was previously a partner at Klarquist Sparkman.
Ater Wynne and C. Bradford (Brad) Biddle have formed a strategic alliance aimed at serving the growing legal needs of global technology consortia. Biddle, former standards counsel for Intel, has engaged with hundreds of global standards-setting organizations, trade associations and open-source foundations. Ater Wynne is one of only a few law firms nationally with a team of attorneys focusing on technology consortia, including standards-setting organizations.
Portland law firm Dunn, Carney, Allen, Higgins & Tongue has named three new partners and hired four associates in its real estate, business and litigation groups. Litigators Elizabeth Knight and Sam Smith and estate planning and tax attorney Melissa Busley have been named partners. Elizabeth Knight is a litigator with extensive experience in state and federal court. She focuses on commercial litigation, trust and estate disputes, legal malpractice defense and agriculture-related litigation. She is the 2015 recipient of the OSB President’s Public Service Award. Sam Smith, a member of the litigation team who focuses on tort and employment matters, represents both plaintiffs and defendants in employment and housing discrimination, product liability and personal injury defense matters. He also works on a wide variety of commercial litigation issues. Melissa Busley prepares wills and trusts and advises clients on estate and gift tax matters, trust administration and charitable gifting. She also advises tax-exempt organizations on operational matters and tax compliance.
New to the Dunn Carney firm are the following associates: David Boyer is a member of the firm’s real estate team and business team. He works with individuals and commercial businesses to structure, draft and negotiate residential, commercial and industrial real estate and business transactions. Alyssa Engelberg is a litigator who advises and defends on all areas of employment law. Prior to joining Dunn Carney, she worked for a national labor and employment law firm and clerked for Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Stephen K. Bushong. Douglas Stamm is a litigator and member of the insurance defense team. He has both civil and criminal litigation experience, having worked in Florida in private practice and as an assistant public defender for the 17th Judicial Circuit. Also joining the litigation Team is Lauren Russell, a recent graduate of University of Oregon School of Law who externed for the Hon. Ann Aiken, Chief District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and clerked with the Oregon Department of Justice appellate division.
Jenn Sabovik, a shareholder at Bullard Law in Portland, died Oct. 29, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. She was 41.
Jennifer A. Sabovik was born April 25, 1974, in Canandaigua, N.Y., and spent most of her childhood in Arizona. She attended the University of Southern California and graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing with a minor in cinema/television.
Sabovik had an abiding interest in all things English, and she was able to immerse herself in the culture and explore her love of literature and epic stories as part of a study abroad program at Cambridge University while at USC. She went on to complete her law degree at the University of Utah, graduating in 2001. While at Utah, Sabovik was awarded the ABN/BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law and the Utah College of Law Award for Outstanding Achievement in Labor Law. She was admitted to the Utah State Bar in 2001.
Sabovik then embarked on her law career as a litigation associate attorney at Prince, Yeates & Geldzahler in Salt Lake City. However, labor law was Sabovik’s true passion and she soon relocated to Washington, D.C., to work for the National Labor Relations Board. While there, Sabovik worked closely with individual board members as well as the full board, advising on pertinent labor issues, case resolution and strategy. She also drafted numerous decisions, dissents, concurrences and orders for issuance or publication.
As an avid traveler, fly fisher and acknowledged “foodie,” Portland was a natural location for Sabovik, so in 2005 she and her husband packed up and headed for the West Coast, where Sabovik first worked for Stoel Rives and ultimately for Bullard Law. Sabovik joined Bullard as an associate in 2007 and quickly became an integral part of the firm’s labor practice.
Sabovik loved labor law and especially enjoyed tracking the twists and turns of the National Labor Relations Board. She was an invaluable resource for obscure NLRB precedent — typically accompanied by entertaining commentary.
Sabovik’s hard work and sharp intellect earned her partnership status in 2012. In the following year, Sabovik’s growing experience with NLRB and state agency hearings, federal circuit court appeals, labor arbitrations and representation elections led to her recognition as a Super Lawyers Rising Star.
In addition to her talent as a lawyer, she was an excellent source of restaurant advice and an avid supporter of her USC Trojans. She loved to travel and share her amusing and interesting stories of adventures on the road. But most of all she loved her son Max, now almost 4, radiating deep affection and tenderness whenever she spoke of him.
Sabovik’s courageous battle against brain cancer was a daily inspiration to her friends and colleagues. From February 2013 to her death, Sabovik fought every day. She faced this challenge with dignity, determination and sense of humor.
Jim Simpson died unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2015, from a heart attack. He was 79.
James Frederick “Jim” Simpson was born Oct. 7, 1936, in Portland, and grew up in Portland, attending Buckman and Rose City Park elementary schools and graduating in 1954 from Benson High School. At Benson, he played quarterback on the football team and sang with the Benson Gleemen. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1958 with a commission as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. He also married his college sweetheart, Carol White, in 1958.
Simpson then served 20 years with the Marine Corps, including a 13-month tour in Vietnam as an infantry company commander in 1966-67. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, he met and married V. Lee Rouse Ellis. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1978 and enrolled in law school, graduating from the University of Puget Sound Law School in 1982.
He served as a Multnomah County deputy district attorney until 1985 before going into private practice for the next 12 years. In 1985, he met his third wife, Terri Dill, whom he married the next year and spent 30 years with.
In 2000, Simpson recognized that he had Alzheimer’s and decided to retire; he lived with the disease for the next 15 years until his death.
Simpson was a board member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington Park and a board member of the Military Officers Association of America even up to the time of his death.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter and son, and grandchildren.
Longtime Portland lawyer Thomas Cooney died in his sleep Dec. 6, 2015, at his new home in Charbonneau. He was 84.
Thomas Emmett Cooney was born July 16, 1931, in Portland, the son of immigrants from County Limerick, Ireland. He grew up in Portland’s Eastmoreland neighborhood and never left the area. He attended Washington High School in Portland and graduated later from the University of Portland with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Willamette University with a J.D. After graduation, he was admitted to the Oregon bar in 1956. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force but frequently referred to himself as the “worst soldier ever,” saying he preferred golfing to marching.
Cooney was named American Board of Trial Lawyers Distinguished Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1996 and received the Multnomah Bar Professionalism Award in 1996. He was a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, member of Multnomah County and American Bar associations, diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates and member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Defense Research Institute. He was one of the founders of Oregon Association of Defense Counsel.
His legal practice areas included insurance defense, focusing primarily on complex litigation involving medical malpractice defense, professional liability and health law. He served as general counsel to the Oregon Medical Association beginning in 1972. He participated in many thorny medical-legal issues, particularly in areas of professional liability, insurance and legislation. Cooney authored the first Oregon Medical-Legal handbook for physicians, more commonly referred to as the “Cheerios Book.”
A gregarious man who loved nothing more than to spend time with family, friends and children at barbeques or family get-togethers, Cooney loved coaching kids (whether his own or others) in sports like baseball, football and basketball. He long wanted to open “Cooney’s Law Clinic and Auto Repair.” His personal passions included golf, jazz, dancing and funny hats. He also had a great love for the outdoors.
He is survived by his wife, Janice, three sons and a daughter, a stepson, nine grandchildren and his former wife, Beverly Cooney of Sherwood.
Stan Sitnick died Dec. 8, 2015. He was 71.
Stanley Arthur Sitnick was born June 25, 1944, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Silver Spring, Md., with a tight knit circle of boyhood friends. After graduating from Montgomery Blair High School, he earned a B.A. at Georgetown University and then a J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School.
As a new lawyer, he tackled social justice issues in Washington, D.C. In 1971, he moved to Oregon, where he worked at Multnomah County Legal Aid and then at Oregon Legal Services (OLS) as director of litigation. He met his wife, Peggy, at OLS and they married in 1985, embarking on a marriage that lasted 30 years and produced two daughters.
His approach to life was based on a reconciliation mentality. So when he transitioned out of practicing law, he turned to mediation. He directed the Clackamas County Dispute Resolution Center and then taught in the conflict resolution program at Portland State University for many years. He also taught mediation to communities in Namibia, England, China and across the western U.S.
A treasured member of the legal and mediation communities, Sitnick was involved in the Oregon Mediation Association and received the Sid Lezak Award for Excellence in 2009. He was known for his measured reasoning, sense of humor and the great kindness he showed to his friends and family.
Music was in his soul; he enjoyed singing and strumming on his banjo. He also loved the outdoors; rafting on the Rogue River and camping in the Oregon wilderness areas were regular summertime activities. Slowed by Parkinson’s disease later in life, he nonetheless was always up for weekly hikes in Forest Park with regular hiking buddies.
He is survived by his wife and daughters.
Longtime Gresham lawyer Bob Rindfusz died December 13, 2015. He was 69.
Robert “Bob” Rindfusz was born in Wolf Lake, Ind., on Aug. 25, 1946, the elder of two boys in a family that valued education. He attended Columbia City High School in Columbia City, Ind., where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the successful state champion debate team. He was also a manager of the high school sports teams. After graduation with honors from high school, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where he was active in student government.
Upon completing his degree at I.U., he earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. While at Ann Arbor, he met his future wife, Kathleen, whom he married following graduation.
After graduation, they moved to Oregon, where he took a job as assistant attorney general for higher education. He later became general counsel to Portland Public Schools before entering private practice.
He spent much of his adult life living on Fairview Lake. The deck overlooking the lake was a place to welcome friends, watch wildlife and read. Saturdays in the fall would find him in front of the television watching his much-loved Michigan Wolverines, Indiana Hoosiers or Oregon State Beavers play football.
Downhill skiing was also a passion, and he had season passes and for many years was a ski host at Timberline. He also loved to play racquetball and played for many years. He was very interested in archeology and visited and did research on Jamestown, Va., his favorite site to study. He enjoyed music, especially jazz, and was an avid reader.
Rindfusz was a former member of the Rockwood Rotary Club, the City Club of Portland and was past president of the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Portland chapter.
He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren.
Retired Portland attorney Sherman Kellar died Jan. 14, 2016, from complications of Lewy Body Dementia. He was 81.
Sherman Bullock Kellar was born July 21, 1934, in Lead, S.D. (He was the great-grandson of Seth Bullock, who was appointed sheriff of Deadwood, S.D., after the unfortunate demise of Wild Bill Hickock.) After high school in Lead, Kellar went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in economics. He attended law school at Stanford for two years and after a year in New York City with Aramco Oil, received his law degree from the University of Colorado.
A third-generation lawyer, he began his law career as a National Labor Relations Board trial attorney in Denver. He migrated to Portland in 1964, where he was in private practice for more than 23 years. From 1986 to 1990, Kellar was president and CEO of a company that developed and sold products for the treatment and restoration of concrete. From 1991 to 2009, he served on arbitration-mediation panels for the American Arbitration Association and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, as well as Employment Relations Boards in Oregon, Washington, Utah, Nevada and Montana. In 1996, he became the president of Shelter America Group, a nonprofit developing affordable housing in the Western U.S. He resigned from this position in 2011 but continued on Shelter America Group’s board of directors until his death.
Over the years, his community service included being president of the Japanese Garden Society of Portland, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral as a member of the Chapter Financial Committee and commissioner for the Center for Spiritual Development, Rotary Club and Portland Chamber of Commerce.
Playing squash was his passion. He took up the game in 1964 and enjoyed playing with friends at the Multnomah Athletic Club and in tournaments. He was a member there for over 50 years, serving on its board of trustees as vice president.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jayn Barnes Kellar, a son and daughter, two stepdaughters, six grandchildren and his former wife, Suzanne Clinger Garvey.
Rita Lucas, former director of the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Program (now known as Diversity and Inclusion), died Jan. 25, 2016. She was 63.
Rita Lyles Lucas was born June 27, 1952. Among her many accomplishments were serving as director of affirmative action for the Oregon State Bar, from 1994 to 1997. She also had worked for Northwest Strategies Inc., the state of Oregon and the city of Portland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Wheaton College, Norton, Mass., a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School of Government and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law in Portland.
Her memberships and civic associations were numerous, including committees and sections of the Oregon State Bar and the boards of the Urban League of Portland, Metropolitan Family Service, Planned Parenthood, Campfire Boys and Girls Club, and Center for Community Mental Health.
She is survived by her three children and seven grandchildren. Her former husband, the late NBA player Maurice Lucas, predeceased her.