School navigation

The Advocate > Fall 2014

Advocate Magazine

- Lewis & Clark

  • 1970s

  • Includes news received from January 9 through July 1, 2014.

    Sand SandThomas Sand ’77, a litigation partner at Miller Nash, was elected to the board of directors for the Multnomah County Bar Association. An active member of the bar since 1977, Sand was president of the foundation arm of the organization in 2010.

  • 1980s

  • Includes news received from January 9 through July 1, 2014.

    Deborah Sather ’80 retired from her position at Sather, Byerly & Holloway. She was chair of the worker’s compensation section, received the Douglas W. Daughtry Award of Merit, and volunteered for countless CLE programs. She plans to study yoga and learn how to fly-fish in central Oregon.

    Melnick MelnickThe Honorable Rich Melnick ’81 was sworn in to the Washington State Court of Appeals Division 2 on March 26, 2014. Melnick had been a superior court judge in Vancouver, Washington, since February 2010. He began his career at the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. While a prosecutor, he headed the county’s first appellate bureau. In 2004, he became a district court judge and continued in that role until he joined the superior court bench. He also served on the municipal court bench in Camas and Washougal and has taught at Clark College.

    McKelvey McKelveyConnie Elkins McKelvey ’83 joined Lindsay Hart as a partner. McKelvey’s practice focuses on professional liability, health law, medical malpractice, dental malpractice, representation before professional licensing boards, and HIPAA policy and security. Her work has earned her recognition in Oregon Super Lawyers and U.S. News Best Lawyers. She can be reached at cmckelvey@lindayhart.com.

    Miller MillerMax M. Miller Jr. ’83 was appointed to serve on the Oregon State Bar’s Sustainable Future Section Executive Committee. The section supports sustainability within the Oregon legal profession by running educational programs, examining the integration of law and sustainability, and encouraging discussion about the needs and interests of future generations.

    Emerick EmerickSteven P. Emerick ’84 joined the national law firm of Quarles & Brady. Emerick’s practice focuses on corporate finance; securities; and business transactions for companies in a broad range of industries, including semiconductor technology, biotechnology, medical devices, information technology, airlines, manufacturing, and financial services.

    Root RootKathryn Smith Root ’84 was named a shareholder of Gevurtz Menashe. She became of counsel with the firm in 2012. Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) also announced that Root will receive the 2014 Katherine H. O’Neil Volunteer Service Award, in honor of steadfast dedication and long-term volunteer service promoting women in the legal profession. Root focuses her family law practice on divorce and post-divorce cases involving complex property and financial issues, interstate and international child custody disputes, Hague child abduction matters, and relocation. She is a leading authority on interstate and international custody in the United States, having handled more than 100 contested interstate custody cases. Root also litigated the first petition filed in the U.S. District Court for Oregon under the Hague Convention in 1997.

    Juday JudayLarry Juday ’87 was recognized as the 2013 Foster Volunteer of the Year by the Humane Society of Southwest Washington. Juday and his wife, Susan, provided intensive in-home care and treatment for more than 30 severely ill cats and kittens last year. Before retiring in 2005, he practiced law in Vancouver, Washington, where he chaired the Southwest Washington Lawyer Referral Service; served as a bar association trustee; was a member of the Superior Court Bench-Bar, Law Library, and Public Relations Committees; and provided pro bono services through the Clark County Volunteer Lawyer Program. Juday also chaired the 16-member Washington State Bar Association Character and Fitness Board.

  • 1990s

  • Includes news received from January 9 through July 1, 2014.

    Snyder SnyderScott Snyder ’90 launched Scott Snyder Arbitration & Mediation, which focuses on effective alternative dispute resolution services. Snyder has extensive experience in business and injury litigation having arbitrated and mediated hundreds of cases. He is a former in-house counsel for Safeco Insurance, KinderCare, and Rentrak Corporation. Snyder has also served as municipal judge for the City of North Plains. He can be contacted at www.scottsnyderadr.com, 503-452-7747, or scottsnyderadr@gmail.com.

    Miller MillerRobert J. (Bob) Miller ’91 was elected to the American Philosophical Society in April. Formerly a law professor at Lewis & Clark, Miller teaches at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

    Teresa Statler ’91 moved her immigration law practice to 522 S.W. 5th Avenue, Suite 1125, Portland, Oregon. She can be reached through her website, www.statlerimmigration.com.

    Allee AlleeMargaret Allee ’93 was named director of programs for Susan G. Komen Oregon and SW Washington, the region’s largest breast cancer charity. Allee has an M.S. in nursing and an M.S. in business management. Prior to joining Komen, she held leadership positions in direct patient care, management, and administration at Legacy Health System, Oregon Health & Science University, and Providence Health and Services.

    Daniel Blaufus ’93 joined the Port of Portland as general counsel. From 2000 to 2010, Blaufus served as an attorney for Nike in various capacities, including as emerging markets counsel and Americas regional counsel. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and general counsel at Borden Dairy Company in Dallas, Texas.

    Rosenthal RosenthalGil Rosenthal ’93 was elected partner at Kutak Rock. Rosenthal has a broad-ranging domestic and international corporate practice specializing in mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases, private equity investments and loan transactions. He works extensively with the structuring and formation of corporations, limited liability companies, and alternative entities for use in joint ventures, international transactions, and other complex business arrangements.

    Shapiro ShapiroScott Shapiro ’94 was elected managing partner at Downey Brand, where he focuses on the internal operations of the firm. Shapiro is known for his expertise in flood protection improvement projects throughout California’s Central Valley.

    Voluck VoluckThe Honorable David Avraham Voluck ’95 received the Alaska Bar Association Board of Governor’s Judge Nora Guinn Award at the 2014 Bar Convention. The award recognizes extraordinary and sustained efforts to assist Alaska’s rural residents, especially its Native population, in overcoming language and cultural barriers to obtaining justice through the legal system. Voluck is the first tribal judge to receive the award. The Alaska Bar Association cited his 20 years serving the state’s Native people as tribal judge, Indian law professor, author, and special counsel. Voluck presently sits as trial judge for the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, and is an adjunct professor for the law school’s Indian Law Program.

    Becker BeckerKathleen C. Becker ’96 was elected representative for Colorado House District 13, which extends from the Wyoming border to Mount Evans and includes Jackson, Grand, Gilpin, and Clear Creek Counties, as well as the western portions of the City of Boulder and Boulder County.

    Tanya Durkee Urbach ’96 was appointed to the board of directors for Queen’s Bench, the Multnomah County chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers.

    Blachly BlachlyVictoria Blachly ’97 of Samuels Yoelin Kantor was appointed to the board of advisors for VoteERA.org, a bipartisan organization advocating for an Oregon Equal Rights Amendment. Blachly was also appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, which is dedicated to enhancing and protecting the quality of life for elderly Oregonians.

    Smith SmithSusan E. Smith ’97 was elected partner at Segal McBridge Singer & Mahoney. Smith represents hospitality, commercial real estate, retail, and housing industry clients facing claims involving Legionnaires’ disease, chemical burns and chemical inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning, lead paint poisoning, and exposure to mold, formaldehyde, and other substances. She also defends individuals and corporate entities in lawsuits arising from automobile accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, defective product claims, and other general liability matters.

    Hanlon HanlonTamara A. Hanlon ’98 was assigned to the Appellate Division of the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

    Guthrie GuthrieHeather Guthrie ’99 of Dunn Carney was appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors for the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. Guthrie also serves as chair of the planned giving advisory council for United Way and has been working with the nonprofit for seven years.

    Krawczuk KrawczukDana Krawczuk ’99, senior counsel in Perkins Coie’s real estate and land use practice, was included by the Portland Business Journal in its 2014 “Forty Under 40.” The recognition honors young influential business leaders who have excelled in their fields and are dedicated to their community.

    Long LongJill R. Long ’99, a shareholder at Lane Powell, was selected for the 2014 Fellows Program of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), a national organization of the legal profession’s top general counsel and managing partners. The fellows program is a highly structured initiative designed to increase diversity at the leadership levels of U.S. law firms and corporate legal departments. Long focuses her practice on land use and real estate, obtaining land use entitlements for retailers, developers, and property owners.

    Maffei MaffeiLaura Maffei ’99 joined Cable Huston as a partner. She brings experience as a geologist to her practice in environmental and natural resources law, focusing on water quality and remediation projects in Oregon and Washington. Maffei has represented municipal and industrial clients since 1999 in permitting, environmental compliance, and environmental litigation matters. She also provides environmental advice in business and real estate transactions. Prior to attending law school, Maffei practiced as an environmental consultant in Oregon and Washington.

    Allison Rhodes ’99 is partner at Holland & Knight’s Portland office, where she focuses her practice on legal ethics and risk management, including attorney disciplinary defense. Rhodes advises both law firms and lawyers in matters involving lawyer mobility, partnership and corporate structuring, lawyer dissociation, and lateral hiring. She also litigates law firm dissolution, fiduciary duty, and lawyer separations.

  • 2000s

  • Includes news received from January 9 through July 1, 2014.

    Newhouse NewhouseMichael Newhouse ’00 joined Buchalter Nemer’s litigation practice group in Los Angeles. A significant part of Newhouse’s work focuses on representing developers, landlords, tenants, property managers, and financial institutions in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate litigation and transactions. Among his clients are companies and individuals in the apparel, technology, financial, multimedia and post-production, interior design, and jewelry industries, as well as insurers, licensors, and accredited investors.

    Damore DamoreShelly Damore ’02 joined Jordan Ramis’ litigation practice group. She focuses on employment and discrimination matters, personal injury, commercial general liability, and business disputes. Damore has tried numerous cases in both Washington and Oregon state courts, as well as in the U.S. District Court in Portland and the Western District of Washington federal courts. A six-time winner of the Oregon Super Lawyers Rising Star award, she was a fellow to the Oregon State Bar Leadership College in 2010. Damore also served as a planning commission member for the City of Camas, Washington, from 2007 to 2011.

    Irvine IrvinePeter Irvine ’02 has a small-town general practice in Northampton, Massachusetts—but with a twist. In addition to handling real estate, criminal defense, small business advising, and other typical matters, Irvine also practices entertainment law, acts as a music manager, and tours with his own band. Playing percussion and singing with Tim Eriksen and the Trio de Pumpkintown has taken him to Singapore and various parts of the United States, including Portland’s Alberta Rose Theatre. The group is recording an album for release in 2015.

    Kobak KobakSara Kobak ’02 was named shareholder at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt. Kobak specializes in appellate litigation and has significant experience before the Oregon Court of Appeals, the Oregon Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also has assisted with briefing before the U.S. Supreme Court at both the certiorari and merits stages. Kobak is a volunteer attorney with the Ninth Circuit Pro Bono Program and has served on the Associates Committee for the Campaign for Equal Justice. Most recently, she has been serving as pro bono counsel in a death-penalty post-conviction proceeding.

    Kevin Clonts ’03 became a shareholder in Rizzo Mattingly Bosworth. His practice focuses on complex litigation matters, including construction defect and insurance coverage disputes. Clonts also represents business entities in litigation involving business dissolutions, contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, and target defendants in complex products liability and construction defect matters.

    Bronson James ’03, a Portland criminal defense attorney, wrote one of the briefs relied on by the U.S. Supreme Court in the cases of Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie. In the ruling that police usually must obtain search warrants before searching suspects’ cellphones, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. adopted some of the data and analogies James included in his friend-of-the-court brief. James wrote the brief on behalf of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Brennan Center for Justice.

    McVicker McVickerSuzanne McVicker ’03 joined the estate planning department of Karnopp Petersen. While attending Lewis & Clark, McVicker clerked at the in-house council department of a large Portland real estate investment company and advised low-income taxpayers at the law school’s Legal Clinic. Prior to joining Karnopp Petersen, she spent six years with Shaftel Law Offices in Anchorage, Alaska, advising trustees and personal representatives of medium to large estates. In addition to wills, trust, estates, probate, and estate and gift tax preparation, McVicker’s practice encompasses business and charitable tax planning and implementation.

    Ostrye OstryeKaren Ostrye ’03 was appointed by Governor Kitzhaber to fill the vacancy on the Circuit Court for the Seventh Judicial District created by the retirement of Judge Paul Crowley. The district encompasses Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties. Ostrye’s community involvement has included serving as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Columbia Gorge and on various boards, including those of the Hood River County School District, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Mid-Columbia County Bar Association. Her volunteer work earned her recognition as Mentor of the Year in 2012 from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Columbia Gorge.

    Julie Penry ’04 was named assistant general counsel at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

    St. Lawrence St. LawrenceAbigail St. Lawrence ’04 opened St. Lawrence Law Office in downtown Helena, Montana. Specializing in water rights, natural resources, administrative law, and government relations, the firm provides responsive legal solutions for agriculture, development, business, and individuals. St. Lawrence is a frequent lecturer at CLE courses, chairs the Justice Initiatives Committee of the State Bar of Montana, and serves on the PPL Community Foundation board.

    Ricoy RicoyPeter Ricoy ’05 was named shareholder at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt. Ricoy focuses his legal practice in health care law, data security and privacy, insurance regulation, and general corporate and business transactions. He works with health plans, physicians, group practices, hospitals, insurers, and employers. He advises clients on a variety of matters, including issues related to health care reform under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Stark and Anti-Kickback Statutes, Medicare, Medicaid, reimbursement, HIPAA, COBRA, and ERISA health plan matters. He previously served as associate general counsel for Cambia Health Solutions, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

     Stafford StaffordKimberlee A. Stafford ’05 was appointed to a two-year term on the Multnomah County Advisory Committee on Sustainability and Innovation. A member of Tonkon Torp’s real estate and land use, energy, and natural resources practice groups, she is also the coeditor of a new reference book on environmental law regulation.

    Gillian Bunker ’06 was named shareholder at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt. Bunker’s practice focuses on the preparation, prosecution, and commercialization of U.S. and foreign utility and design patents. Assisting start-ups, established companies, universities, and other research institutions, she provides advice ranging from patent procurement and protection to due diligence analyses, technology transfer, licensing, and strategic planning and counseling. She handles a variety of technologies, including mechanical devices, medical devices, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry.

    Dozono DozonoElisa Dozono ’06 was one of 10 Japanese Americans chosen for the 2014 Japanese American Leadership Delegation, which traveled to Japan to engage with leaders in the business, government, academic, nonprofit, and cultural sectors. Dozono focuses her practice on business litigation and government relations.

    Ken Mitchell-Phillips ’06 announced the opening of the Law Offices of Ken Mitchell-Phillips, a Pacific Northwest law firm with Oregon offices in Portland, Clackamas, Lake Oswego, and Gresham, and a Washington office in Vancouver. The firm focuses on business transactional, real estate, corporate finance, civil litigation, and estate planning needs.

    Smith SmithJosh Smith ’06 joined the Sierra Club’s San Francisco office as a staff attorney. Smith will continue to devote his practice to environmental and natural resources litigation, with a focus on clean energy, electricity regulation, and water and air pollution. He most recently worked for several years as an environmental litigator with Earthjustice in Florida.

    Peter Janci ’07 became a partner at O’Donnell, Clark & Crew. Janci has been with the firm since 2007. His practice focuses on representing plaintiffs in child sexual abuse, malpractice, wrongful death, and business tort cases.

    Patterson PattersonWill Patterson ’08 joined Folawn Alterman & Richardson as an associate. His practice includes complex civil litigation, business law, and estate planning, as well as general transactional work, such as contract drafting and review.

    Nidhi Thakar ’08 joined the Center for American Progress as deputy director for public lands. Thakar previously worked at Perkins Coie representing power marketers, independent power producers, electric and gas utilities, hydroelectric licensees, and onshore and offshore oil and gas companies. She has experience in the permitting of renewable energy projects and has advised clients on the National Environmental Policy Act, wildlife protection laws, and hydraulic fracturing and greenhouse gas reporting rules.

    Volm VolmTyler Volm ’08 joined Barran Liebman as an associate. Volm represents employers and management in employment law litigation and provides advice on a full range of employment law matters. He is a director on the board of the Multnomah Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, a volunteer attorney with the Lewis & Clark Small Business Legal Clinic, and a member of the law school’s Recent Graduate Council.

    Washington WashingtonMolly Washington ’08 joined Ball Janik’s litigation and construction practice groups. Her practice focuses on construction defect.

    Bishop BishopNoah Bishop ’09 started Bishop Bankruptcy Law in Clackamas, Oregon. Bishop brings over five years of chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy experience to his practice. Having spent the past three years working with a family and bankruptcy practice in Gresham, he is aware of the issues facing east county residents.

    Fagan FaganShemia Fagan ’09, an associate at Ater Wynne, was included by the Portland Business Journal in its 2014 “Forty Under 40.” The recognition honors young influential business leaders who have excelled in their fields and are dedicated to their community. Fagan works on business dispute resolution ranging from intellectual property infringement to employment defense.

    Vanessa Lee Gebbie ’09 earned designation as a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional. She is member of the information privacy and security practice group at Opus Events Agency.

  • 2010s

  • Includes news received from January 9 through July 1, 2014.

    Donegan DoneganBridget Donegan ’10 became a member of the Portland Police Citizen Review Committee, which reviews investigations of officer conduct, makes recommendations on bureau policies, and conducts public outreach activities. Donegan’s term will last three years.

    Sara Ghafouri ’10 joined the firm Haglund Kelley. Ghafouri has served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Robert Willheim and the Honorable Lynn R. Nakamoto of the Oregon Court of Appeals. Her practice will focus on business and commercial litigation, antitrust law, and environmental and natural resource law.

    Hernandez HernandezSamuel Hernandez ’10 is preparing for a yearlong tour in Afghanistan. He serves as a light infantry company commander in the Oregon Army National Guard and has been an associate for the past two years at Barran Lieberman, which the U.S. Department of Defense has honored with a Patriot Award for their wide-ranging support of Hernandez and his deployment. Hernandez is also one of four Portland lawyers to receive a 2014 Oregon State Bar Litigation Section Rising Litigator Award.

    Jason Hirano ’10 and Megan Lemire ’10 opened Lemire & Hirano, which handles employment and civil rights litigation, estate planning and administration, and elder law.

    Scott Gitler ’11 joined Pilkenton & Reeves in Tigard, Oregon. Gitler’s practice focuses on the defense of Progressive Insurance and its policyholders in litigation arising from the use of motor vehicles, including personal injury, property loss, and uninsured motorist and personal injury protection benefits. He previously served as staff counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance.

    Kimberlee Petrie Volm ’11 joined Cosgrave Vergeer Kester as an associate attorney in the firm’s complex torts practice group. Her practice focuses on business and commercial litigation, personal injury, and property damage. Petrie Volm 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.

    Aurelia Erickson ’12 joined Robert J. McGaughey’s firm as an associate. Erickson’s practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on securities and shareholder lawsuits, employment claims, and environmental law. She recently served as a judicial law clerk to Superior Court Judge Kari Kristiansen in Palmer, Alaska.

    Munsinger MunsingerDamien Munsinger ’12 joined Barran Liebman as an associate attorney. He represents employers and management in employment law litigation, and provides advice on a full range of employment law matters. Previously, Munsinger worked as an honors attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice Trial and Civil Enforcement Divisions. He also served as former Attorney General John Kroger’s special assistant in 2010, coordinating with Oregon business leaders, attorneys, elected officials, and citizens on behalf of the attorney general.

    Atchison AtchisonRachel Atchison ’13 was elected to the board of directors for Portland’s Rock’n’Roll Camp for Girls. Atchison is member of Tonkon Torp’s business law practice group, where she works on a variety of matters including securities regulation and issues related to the financial services industry. An accomplished guitarist and songwriter, she is cofounder of a band that has performed throughout the United States.

    Nick Lawton JD ’13, LLM ’14 won second prize in the ABA’s Public Law and Policy writing competition for his LLM seminar paper, Utah’s Transfer of Public Lands Act: Demanding a Gift of Federal Lands.

    Bobby Schroeder ’13 joined Dunn Carney as a real estate attorney. His practice will focus on real estate transactions, land use, and agricultural law.

  • Births & Adoptions

  • Arya Euna Sen Arya Euna SenMina Chang ’09 welcomed daughter Arya Euna Sen on April 6, 2014. Arya weighed 6 lbs., 8.6 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. She is Chang’s first child.

    Helena Rose Severe Helena Rose SevereErin Snyder ’09 and Constantin Severe welcomed daughter Helena Rose Severe on April 12, 2014. Helena weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.

Advocate Magazine

Contact Us