Experience

Construction

• Member of litigation team for $30 million dispute concerning design/build project involving glass bottle manufacturing plant addressing claims including breach of contract, mechanics lien validity and priority, and indemnity.
• Member of litigation team representing large high-tech company in numerous delay and defect claims arising from construction of manufacturing facilities.
• Co-counsel prosecuting $11 million construction defect arbitration involving a 184-unit senior and assisted living center, including breach of contract, breach of express and implied warranties, contractual indemnity and negligence.
• Lead trial counsel on dispute involving validity and priority of bonded mechanic's lien over purchase money lender's deeds of trust giving rise to issue of first impression under Washington law.
• Resolved lien priority dispute involving over $500,000 disbursed as alleged future advances on commercial construction project, alleged advances claiming lien priority over commercial bank's $2.4 million construction loan.

Real Estate

• Defeated $19.5 million developer breach of contract claim against Port District to develop 65 acres of public and private waterfront property based upon alleged breach of Option Agreement.
• Litigated purchase and sale, escrow, deed covenant, CC&R, co-tenancy, commercial lease, easement and title insurance claims.
• Resolved lawsuit on right of first refusal allegedly arising on sale of an industrial park to purchase multimillion-dollar barge slip on the Columbia River.
• Prosecuted private condemnation lawsuit for right-of-way to landlocked timberland resulting in easement agreement with adjoining neighbors.
• Resolved lawsuit involving sale of 50-lot subdivision arising when corporate seller alleged to be unauthorized to convey title after developer had commenced improvements and sale of lots.

Commercial

• Litigated governance and control disputes on matters between partners, shareholders and limited liability company members to resolve claims and wind up business entities holding real estate and commercial assets.
• Enjoined and resolved attempted termination of multimillion-dollar distribution and service business covering several western states invoking breach of contract and state franchise law.
• Lead trial counsel on termination for cause of senior executive and call on executive's member units in limited liability manufacturing company.
• Lead trial counsel on valuation of shares of closely held corporation on court decreed forced sale due to director and shareholder deadlock involving equipment manufacturing company.
• Defended manufacturer against multiple franchise claims by terminated sub-distributors.

Honors & Activities

Professional Honors & Activities

• Former member, Board of Trustees, Clark County Bar Association
• Past Chair, Superior Court Bench/Bar Committee
• Past Chair, Bench/Bar Subcommittee Civil Docket Congestion
• Past Chair, Bench/Bar Subcommittee on Indigent Defense Standards
• Oregon State Bar House of Delegates
• Litigation Sections, Washington and Oregon State Bar Associations
• Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
• Multnomah Bar Association
• Clark County Bar Association

Civic Activities

• Homeless Court advocate, Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Homeless Advice Clinic, Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Volunteer Mediator, Community Mediation Services
• Past Board Member, Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust
• Past President, Columbia Arts Center, Board of Directors
• Rater, Clark County High School Mock Trial Competition
• St. Andrew Legal Clinic

Insights & Presentations

• “Dispossession of Personal Property” (coauthor), Oregon State Bar CLE Damages, 1990, including 1993 and 1995 supplements.