Class Notes, Fall 2018

Stewart Whipple ’51 A proud father joined his daughter, author and award-winning journalist Julie Whipple, at a Powell’s Books signing of her book Crash Course, which describes the true story of United Flight 173. Stewart ultimately brought the case to court and the resultant findings changed much about our daily lives, including how we train flight crews and medical staff. The case is now covered in medical school to teach situational awareness and the importance of speaking up across seniority.

70s

Ann Lehman JD ’78 returned to Portland to live in the first senior cohousing in the southeast part of the city. Lehman is active on the board of the Cohousing Association of the United States and will be cochairing the National CoHousing Conference, to be held in Portland May 30 through June 2, 2019. She also teaches trauma-informed yoga to houseless and other young people. 6/5/18

Cliff Bentz JD ’77 was named the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year for his work in the Oregon Legislature as the House District 60 representative. In particular, he was lauded for his efforts on a transportation bill that is funding a reload facility in Malheur County. Bentz, who has a long resume of community and statewide service, focused on water and tax law while at Lewis & Clark. 1/10/18

Alan “Al” Larsen JD ’77 is both the general counsel and the head of Congressional and Public Affairs for the Office of Inspector General at the Environmental Protection Agency. He reports that he is working under the ancient curse “May you live in interesting times.” Larsen’s role is to ensure that EPA officials, including political appointees at the top of the organization, conduct their activities and lead the agency within the boundaries of the law. Much of this has recently played out in public and before Congress. Larsen says that the barrage of accusations and counter-narratives is constant and deafening, and his shop has to sort it all out and then act—which it has done repeatedly in recent months. 7/17/18

Philip Berkowitz JD ’78, a shareholder in Littler’s New York office, has been recognized in the 2018 Who’s Who Legal Labour, Employment & Benefits Guide. 8/3/18

80s

Dr. Paul Blaylock JD ’84 recently received two of the highest honors offered by the University of Tennessee. In October 2017, Blaylock was recognized—along with athlete Peyton Manning and astronaut Scott Kelly, among others—as one of the University of Tennessee’s 100 Outstanding Alumni. It was announced at the ceremony that Blaylock would also be honored in Memphis in September 2018 as a University of Tennessee Medical Health Sciences Center Outstanding Alumnus. Blaylock has practiced medicine and law 43 Advocate | Fall 2018 in Portland for over 44 years. He is remembered as the triage doctor at the scene of the December 28, 1978, United Airline crash on East Burnside, and is credited with saving many lives that night. After 38 years as an emergency room doctor at local trauma centers, he currently practices at his own clinic in Beaverton and serves as a medical legal consultant in cases involving motor vehicle accident and workers compensation injuries. 2/16/18

Greg Lakin JD ’88 was named chief medical officer for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment by Governor Sam Brownback, effective January 8, 2018. Lakin has spent his career working in the field of medicine, caring for people of all ages as a family practitioner, as well as in emergency medicine, skilled nursing, and long-term care, and with patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. He currently serves as the medical director for Valley Hope Rehabilitation Center. Lakin earned a medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1998. 4/13/18

Doug Lee BA ’68, JD ’88 retired in 2015 after 46 years of teaching. He has two adult sons, but no grandkids yet. Currently, Lee teaches part time at the University of California at Berkeley. He has submitted book manuscripts on Chinese history to a publisher. 12/8/17

Richard Rizk JD ’88, founder of Rizk Law, PC, was named president of the South Portland Business Association in June 2018. He is also general counsel of the Cascade Ski Club. Rizk Law PC is a plaintiff’s personal injury and insurance claim law firm representing everyday people from its offices in the John’s Landing Building near Macadam Avenue in Southwest Portland. 6/4/18

Michael Robinson JD ’88, a 25-year land use veteran, joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt’s real estate and construction industry group. Robinson focuses on obtaining land use approvals and highway access permits for a diverse client portfolio including developers and general contractors. 2/20/18

90s

Jake Metcalfe JD ’90, a Juneau native, was appointed executive director of ASEA/ AFSCME Local 52, Alaska’s largest labor union, on January 1, 2018. Previously, Metcalfe was a district attorney in Bethel and served a term on the city council there before moving to Anchorage, where he worked as associate general counsel to the IBEW Local 1547. He became that union’s top lawyer in 2004. Metcalfe was elected to the Anchorage School Board in 2001 and served two terms. In 2009, he became director of the Public Safety Employees’ Association Local 803, the union that represents police and corrections officers. 3/2/18

Dagmar Butte ’91 was awarded the 2018 Susan D. Quarles American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Service Excellence Award. Butte is a shareholder at Parker, Butte & Lane. Originally from Germany, she practices business and family immigration for individuals and corporate clients in high tech, health care, engineering, education, and other sectors. She also writes and speaks nationally and internationally on immigration law for AILA and other organizations, and teaches international law at Lewis & Clark as an adjunct professor. 6/11/18

Abby Wool Landon JD ’91 has joined Tonkon Torp as a partner in its estate planning practice group, business department, and tax practice group. Landon, who will chair the firm’s estate planning group, has focused her practice on estates and trusts law for over 25 years. She was most recently with Williams Kastner. 10/13/17

Victor Hoffer JD ’92 received both the 2017 Paramedic of the Year Award and the 2017 Excellence in Training Award from Marion County Fire District 1 (Salem, Oregon). A career paramedic as well as a practicing attorney, Hoffer also received the 2017 Paramedic of the Year Award from Mount Angel Fire District 15, where he volunteers. Hoffer’s father was a Mount Angel firefighter and EMT for 41 years and the fire chief for 15 years, and his mother was the city’s mayor. Hoffer’s legal practice, also located in Mount Angel, focuses on elder law, business law, and serving the disenfranchised and underserved in his community. He also serves on the Oregon Transportation Safety Committee, of which he was appointed chair in 2016 by Governor Kate Brown JD ’85. 3/12/18

Grace L. Pan JD ’92 joined the New York City office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton as a partner on the firm’s internationally recognized patent litigation team. Pan is a patent litigator and counselor representing clients from the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and China. She is experienced in enforcing and defending patents, trademarks, and trade dress before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, International Trade Commission, various U.S. district courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in manufacturing, medical equipment, biotechnology, organic chemistry, electronic, semiconductor, mechanical, and related technical fields. 5/16/18

Shelley (Dennis) Russell JD ’93 was recently appointed to the Multnomah County Circuit Court to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Adrienne Nelson to the Oregon Supreme Court. Russell began her legal career as a civil litigator with the former Portland firm of Hoevet, Snyder & Miller. In 1998, she joined Crispin Employment Lawyers, becoming a shareholder of the firm in 2000. Russell focused her practice on plaintiff-side employment and civil rights matters, as well as personal injury. While in practice, Russell served on several OSB Committees, as well as 15 years on the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors. She served as OTLA President for the 2014-2015 board year. 5/10/18

Eileen Eakins JD ’94 marked the 12th anniversary of her solo law practice in April 2018. Her firm represents more than 80 local government clients, including counties, cities, and special service districts. Through the Special Districts Association of Oregon and other sponsors, Eakins also conducts frequent training sessions for elected officials and public employees on the laws that apply to local governments in Oregon. 12/19/17

Scott Shapiro JD ’94 was named a 2018 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine and will be featured in the August issue. He was also a 2017 Best of the Bar honoree and was named in the 2018 issue of Best Lawyers in America magazine. Shapiro is a managing partner at Downey Brand LLP in Sacramento, California. 7/23/18

John A. Schifino JD ’94, a partner in the Tampa offices of Burr & Forman LLP, was recently sworn in as president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA). Schifino has served on the HCBA board of directors since 2011. He has been on the executive committee of the HCBA’s 600-member trial and litigation section since 2010, and chaired the section in 2015-2016. 8/3/18

Chuck D. Barlow LLM ’95, vice president of environmental strategy and policy of Entergy Corporation, was named Lawyer of the Year by Mississippi College School of Law. 9/11/17

Alice Cuprill-Comas JD ’95 was appointed president of the Port of Portland Commission by Governor Kate Brown JD ’85. Cuprill-Comas is senior vice president and general counsel for Oregon Health & Science University. Before joining OHSU in November 2012, she was a partner at Ater Wynne LLP. Cuprill-Comas has also served as general counsel to Prometheus Energy Company, and as an associate at both Vinson & Elkins LLP and Tonkon Torp LLP. 8/3/18

Ulanda Watkins JD ’96 was appointed to the Clackamas County Circuit Court by Governor Kate Brown JD ’85 and sworn into office on August 1, 2017, by Judge Adrienne Nelson of the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Watkins is the only judge who is a person of color in Clackamas County, as well as the first African American to serve as a judge in an Oregon county other than Multnomah. A former defense lawyer and managing attorney at GEICO, the Portland native is the third African American woman to rise to the Oregon state bench. 9/19/17

Diane Wiscarson JD ’96 worked alongside client Audra Marsh to prevail in a due process complaint filed with the Oregon Department of Education in January 2017. The State of Oregon’s Office of Administrative Hearings issued its final order on April 5, 2018, declaring that the Dallas School District violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and denied Marsh’s daughter a free appropriate public education. Wiscarson Law has shepherded thousands of Oregon and Washington families through the region’s public school districts and educational service districts on behalf of their special-needs children. 6/18/18

Robert “Matt” Conoley JD ’97 joined the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center last summer, after graduating with an MA in strategic security studies from the National Defense University. An interagency organization that uses data analytics, private sector talent, and social media technologies, the center is charged with leading the U.S. government’s efforts to counter propaganda and disinformation from international terrorist organizations and foreign countries. Conoley serves as deputy chief of partnerships and public affairs advisor. 1/15/18

Susan Smith JD ’97 recently joined Beveridge & Diamond, PC as a shareholder in the firm’s San Francisco office. Her practice will continue to focus on toxic tort and environmental litigation, including related appellate work and insurance coverage matters. 5/12/18

Eric Dobroth JD ’98, a 12-year veteran of the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, will be its new second-in-command, helping manage the direction of the office and signing off on all its major cases. Dobroth, who joined the DA’s Office in 2005, will be its new assistant district attorney. District Attorney Dan Dow released a statement saying that Dobroth will help lead the office as it “deals with the challenges of increasing crime and a more complex criminal justice system.” In addition, Dobroth currently acts as chair of the San Luis Obispo County Environmental Enforcement Group and is a liaison to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. 3/9/18

Edwin Morrow JD ’98 was elected a fellow by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Morrow is a national wealth specialist at Key Private Bank, providing customized tax, trust, and estate planning solutions to high-net-worth clients. He has an extensive background in taxation, probate and estate law, and business planning. A nonpublic arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Morrow is also a frequent speaker at CLE/CPE courses on asset protection, taxes, and financial and estate planning. 10/2/17

Justin B. Munn JD ’98 has joined the Tulsa, Oklahoma, law firm of Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, LLP. Munn represents clients throughout Oklahoma in family law, civil litigation, guardianships, adoptions, estate planning, trust, and probate matters. He has significant experience litigating all aspects of marriage dissolutions including child custody, visitation, child support, property and debt division, and alimony. He also represents clients in litigation involving paternity proceedings, guardianship matters, and the defense and prosecution of protective and restraining orders. Outside of the courtroom, Munn serves as a certified mediator in a wide variety of family law and domestic matters. 8/1/18

Raymond Crutchley JD ’99 was appointed Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney to the county’s circuit court by Oregon Governor Kate Brown JD ’85, filling the vacancy left by Judge Alta Brady’s recent retirement. Crutchley, 49, is the first African American to serve as an Oregon judge east of the Cascades, the Governor’s Office noted in its announcement. “Ray Crutchley is a person of unbounded talent, energy, and passion, who embodies the very essence of the American dream,” Brown said. “His diverse life experiences and commitment to justice will serve him well on the bench, allowing him to connect with a wide range of litigants who appear in his courtroom.” Born and raised in Jamaica, Crutchley immigrated to New York at age 11 with his mother. He joined the military during college, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992. Upon his honorable discharge from the Marines, Crutchley returned to school and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Queens College in 1995. Following law school and a judicial clerkship with Clackamas County Circuit Judge Raymond Bagley Jr., Crutchley practiced in Northeast Portland and Hillsboro for more than a decade, representing underserved clients in criminal defense and civil matters. He has prosecuted criminal cases as a Deschutes County Deputy DA since 2015. 8/1/18

00s

Karl Hausafus JD ’00 rejoined the Portland-based investment firm Arnerich Massena as general counsel and chief compliance officer. Hausafus has overall responsibility for the legal and compliance functions of the firm. (He previously served Arnerich Massena in this capacity from 2010 to 2016.) He has also been named a principal of the firm, joining the company’s shareholder group. Hausafus brings more than 15 years of experience in the financial industry, having most recently served as chief legal officer for Saturna Capital and as general counsel and chief compliance officer for the Oregon State Treasury. Prior to his original tenure with Arnerich Massena, he served as general counsel and chief compliance officer of Compass Holdings, LLC, and as senior associate attorney with Preston Gates & Ellis, LLP, where he advised both public and private companies on general securities and business issues. 10/23/17

Kevin S. Minoli JD ’00 served as the acting general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the presidential transition on January 20, 2017, until January 8, 2018, when a permanent general counsel was appointed. Minoli has since returned to his permanent position as the EPA’s principal deputy general counsel, which is the highest-ranking career attorney position at the agency. 12/30/17

Andrew C. Hanson JD ’01 joined the environment, energy, and resources practice of Perkins Coie in the firm’s Madison office. Most recently, Hanson was a senior attorney with Alliant Energy Corporate Services, providing strategic advice on energy project acquisitions, development, and construction, and preparing regulatory filings that allowed the company to significantly expand its renewable energy resources. He previously held positions at the EPA, where he focused on matters related to the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act. Hanson was a trial attorney with the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, D.C., from 2008 until late 2015, and was recognized by the DOJ and EPA for his work on high-impact environmental cases. He received his BS from the University of Michigan. 6/11/18

Jonathan Lovvorn LLM ’01 was named the first policy director for Harvard Law School’s Animal Law and Policy Program on September 5, 2017. Lovvorn, who taught wildlife law at Harvard during the fall 2015 and fall 2016 terms, continues to serve as a lecturer and is teaching a new course this fall on farmed animal law and policy. He will collaborate with faculty, staff, fellows, and students to expand the program’s existing policy projects into longer-term initiatives, launch new policy initiatives, and help advance policy research and scholarship within the program. 10/23/17

Randy McClure JD ’01, a principal of RHP Risk Management, an occupational safety and health consulting firm, spoke on February 26, 2018, at the California Wildfire Litigation Conference: Strategic Overview of the North Bay Fires. The conference looked at a variety of legal issues associated with the North Bay and Thomas fires. McClure’s presentation provided an overview of residential risk assessment strategies and explored the many nuances associated with quantifying risk. 8/1/18

Peter Irvine JD ’02 was awarded the Massachusetts Bar Association Community Service Award on September 28, 2017. The award recognizes Irvine’s ongoing effort to provide access to legal services for artists, elders, tenants, and other underserved individuals. After a career as a professional musician, most notably in the band Cordelia’s Dad, Irvine became an attorney specifically to assist those creative professionals who have difficulty understanding, dealing with, or negotiating their legal needs. He has been providing pro bono or reduced-fee services to individuals and communities in need through the free Hampshire Elder Law Program (H.E.L.P.) and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in Massachusetts. Irvine also volunteers as a housing court lawyer, represents transgender individuals in discrimination cases, and works for reduced fees for nonprofit organizations such as local arts and theatre groups, including the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Community. 1/7/18

Erin Keys MacDonald JD ’02, a partner in the trusts and estates department of Karnopp Petersen LLP, was recently elected a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estates Counsel (ACTEC). Keys MacDonald is one of 36 new fellows elected to ACTEC from across the United States, England, and Canada. She regularly counsels clients in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, tax planning, and charitable giving. 7/30/18

Michael Lopez JD ’05 joined the board of directors for Advocates for the West. Lopez has served for 10 years as a staff attorney for the Nez Perce Tribe Office of Legal Counsel. He also worked as a senior program manager for the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation’s U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution in Tucson, Arizona. Lopez holds a master’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Minnesota. 6/13/18

Parna Mehrbani JD ’05 joined Tonkon Torp as a partner in the firm’s intellectual property practice group. Previously, she was a shareholder at Lane Powell, where she served in several leadership positions, including as a member of their managing board. Mehrbani is well-recognized for her expertise in trademark registration and enforcement, and advises local, national, and international companies at all stages of growth on protecting their trademark portfolios. Recognized in the World Trademark Review 1000 as a leading trademark professional since 2013, she helps clients develop and protect new brands and lines of business across many industries, including apparel, footwear, consumer products, food and beverage, cannabis, and education services. 5/30/18

Fay Stetz-Waters JD ’05 was appointed the new Linn County Circuit Court judge by Governor Kate Brown JD ’85 on October 19, 2017. The appointment filled a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carol R. Bispham Hashagen until the general election in May, which confirmed Stetz-Waters in the position. 3/2/18

Natalia Robalino BA ’01, JD ’06 served for eight years as in-house senior counsel at the World Bank, handling HR, corporate, tax, and litigation matters as well as issues pertaining to the World Bank’s privileges and immunities. She is now moving to the World Bank’s office in Beirut, Lebanon, to work as regional senior counsel responsible for the bank’s operations in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Robalino is planning on a three-year assignment during which she will be responsible for preparing and negotiating with government counterparts the legal agreements for the World Bank’s projects in the region and will advise teams on all legal aspects of the bank’s operations, including preparation, supervision, and project implementation. Robalino will be joined in Beirut by her husband, David Robalino, and their two dogs, Harper and Mephistopheles. 6/28/18

Susan W. Graf JD ’07 was named a partner by Klarquist Sparkman. Graf, who holds a PhD in cell biology from Duke University, specializes in biotechnical and medical patent applications, with a focus on the preparation and prosecution of U.S., international, and foreign patent applications. She has extensive research experience in the fields of cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics, including clinical diagnostics. Graf also prepares legal opinions, including patentability, invalidity, infringement/ noninfringement, and freedom-to-operate opinions, and prepares and prosecutes trademark applications. 3/2/18

Stephanie Holmberg JD ’08 is the new coleader of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt’s real estate and construction industry group. As a former in-house counsel to a national electric utility contractor, Holmberg has extensive knowledge of the construction industry and the unique issues project owners and contractors face. 6/14/18

Anthony Kuchulis JD ’08 was named a partner at Barran Liebman LLP. Kuchulis has a decade of experience representing employers and businesses in advice and litigation, and has been named a Rising Star by Oregon Super Lawyers magazine for the past five consecutive years. 12/28/17

Lisa Lenherr BA ’00, JD ’08 joined the Oakland, California, law firm Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP as an associate in the firm’s bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors rights practice group. Lenherr has nearly a decade of experience representing debtors, landlords, lenders, and creditors in all aspects of Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies. 3/13/18

Jennifer Woodhouse JD ’08 was promoted to shareholder at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. Woodhouse focuses on estate and tax matters. She assists clients with tax controversies; estate, charitable, and business transition planning; probate; and trust administration. 4/12/18

Michael G. Jacobs JD ’09 became a partner in Hart Wagner’s Portland office. Jacobs maintains a versatile practice focusing on general liability, products liability, and medical malpractice defense. 2/16/18

Ian Kyle JD ’09 was named Northwest regional underwriting counsel for North American Title Insurance Company, with responsibility for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Most recently, Kyle had a thriving solo practice focused on real estate and civil litigation. Previously, he was a transactional real estate counsel and worked for nearly three years as an underwriting counsel at a commercial branch of a national title insurance company. In that capacity, he worked on high-value commercial real estate transactions, primarily in Oregon. Kyle received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. 3/12/18

Claire Tonry JD ’09 has been made a partner at Smith & Lowney PLLC. Tonry had been an associate with the Seattle-based firm since 2011. Her practice focuses on environmental and consumer protection litigation and progressive political advocacy. 1/3/18

Diana Wiener Rosengard BA ’04, JD ’09 and her husband, David Rosengard JD ’15, LLM ’16, bought their first home in Saint Helens, Oregon, in October 2017. They promptly adopted two adorable rescue pitbulls, who keep them busy. Diana works as a senior manager at a global open-source technology company, while writing novels in her spare time. Her first novel, Spooked, a “New Adult supernatural noir,” is coming out in September 2018. 7/12/18

10s

Gregory K. Scott JD ’10 has been named a partner at Klarquist Sparkman. Scott, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience from Oregon Health & Science University, prepares and prosecutes U.S., international, and foreign patent applications. His practice emphasis is in biotechnology, including applications relating to biochemistry, molecular genetics, virology, immunology, neurobiology, pharmaceuticals, cellular imaging, and bioinformatics. 3/2/18

Todd Friedman JD ’11 has been named a partner by Stoel Rives. Friedman practices business law, with a focus on advising entrepreneurial, emerging, growing, and established companies. He primarily serves the food and beverage, technology, and creative industries. Prior to joining Stoel Rives, Friedman had a career in corporate management, technology, international supply chain operations, and venture capital. 8/3/18

Andrew Weiner JD ’11 joined Hart Wagner as the litigation firm’s newest associate in its Portland office. Weiner’s practice will focus on employment litigation and medical malpractice defense. He will also work on appellate law issues, as well as legal malpractice and other professional liability defense matters. Previously, Weiner worked as a criminal defense attorney specializing in white-collar matters. He represented individuals and entities in both federal and state courts in cases ranging from simple theft to complex bank fraud and conspiracy. 4/11/18

Elektra B. Yao JD ’11 marked the one-year anniversary of the Law Office of Elektra B. Yao in May 2018. The full-service multilingual immigration law firm is based in New York City. 6/4/18

Rachel Guthrie JD ’12 established the American Wolf Foundation on March 15, 2018. The foundation will provide support to partner organizations doing on-the-ground research into and conservation of endangered American wolves, starting with the critically endangered red wolf. It will also focus on outreach, education, and coexistence initiatives to shape public perception in advance of a new red wolf reintroduction effort. The organization plans to follow a model similar to that of the Mexican Wolf Fund, which provides support to affected ranchers and landowners in an effort to foster collaboration. In the short term, the American Wolf Foundation may also fund additional captive breeding of the red wolf. Guthrie’s ultimate goal is to build the foundation into a substantial endowment fund to provide permanent support for all American canid conservation efforts. 4/13/18

John Koch JD ’12 was named the Multnomah Bar Association’s Senior Law Project Volunteer of the Year for providing representation to those who could not otherwise afford legal assistance. Koch practices business law as well as estate planning and administration. 8/3/18

Ben Pirie JD ’12 has joined Lane Powell as an associate on the firm’s cannabis team. Pirie counsels cannabis businesses on a wide range of corporate needs. He is passionate about building long-lasting relationships with clients as they reach toward their goals in one of the most dynamic and fraught industries in the world. Pirie brings his experience as in-house counsel for a Fortune 1000 company in Portland to bear on Oregon’s emerging cannabis industry, where he advises clients on business transactions, contracts, entity formation and management, securities compliance, corporate governance, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, state and local administrative law, and employment matters. Pirie has helped clients from labs to retailers on their terms and timelines to get and keep every type of recreational-marijuana license from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. In addition to advising clients, Pirie is active in engaging with state and local governments in order to ensure commonsense, business-friendly regulation of the marijuana industry. 8/3/18

Amira Streeter JD ’13 joined the Oregon Governor’s Office on July 9 as part of the natural resources team. Streeter assumes responsibility for liaising with a number of natural resource state agencies. She brings deep experience in brownfields policy, project management and collaborative problem solving, and community engagement and empowerment. Streeter most recently worked as a policy director for Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, focusing on issues such as the Portland Harbor Superfund clean-up, housing, community development, and public arts and culture. She also has experience in the private and nonprofit sectors, having served as a policy analyst and legislative liaison for Oregon Representative Lew Frederick and as an environmental prosecution clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Streeter earned a certificate in environmental and natural resources law with her JD, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and dance from Skidmore College. 7/9/18

Whitney Christensen JD ’14 recently started her own legal firm, Christensen Law, in Corvallis, Oregon. She specializes in three areas of law: business, estate planning, and financial distress. While she was attending Lewis & Clark Law School, Christensen worked with the Oregon Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 3/12/18

George Dingeldein JD ’14 and other members of the Rathbone Law Firm have joined the real estate practice group of Dunn Carney LLP in Portland. Dingeldein has four years of experience practicing real estate, construction finance, real estate securities, and corporate general business law. 4/6/18

Lisa Kenn JD ’14, after two years as an associate with Kramer & Associates, has established a solo practice, Lisa Kenn Family Law, LLC. Kenn’s practice focuses on all aspects of domestic relations law, including divorce, custody, restraining orders, guardianships, third-party custody matters, and adoptions. She also represents parties in juvenile dependency cases. 6/9/18

Leland Baxter-Neal JD ’15 has taken a position with the ACLU of Oregon. Previously, Baxter-Neal worked at Immigrant Defense Oregon, a project at Metropolitan Public Defender. There, he represented people in deportation proceedings and worked with unaccompanied minors held in a secure detention facility. He also worked to improve access to immigration legal services and with Oregon Ready to help develop and advocate for a universal representation project at the Portland immigration court. In his first week with the ACLU, Baxter-Neal fought the federal government for access to the 123 immigrants and asylum seekers in ICE custody who had just been transported to the federal prison in Sheridan. The following week, he helped secure a major victory in federal court when the judge found that the federal government was unconstitutionally preventing Baxter-Neal and other pro bono attorneys from entering the prison or communicating with the immigrants detained there. The judge ordered that the lawyers be allowed access. 6/29/18

Megan Reuther JD ’15 has joined Tonkon Torp LLP as an associate in its litigation department. Previously, Reuther served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Erika Hadlock of the Oregon Court of Appeals. During her two-year clerkship, Reuther worked on a variety of civil, administrative, and criminal appeals, including complex business and contract law cases, workers’ compensation matters, and free-speech issues. Reuther holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Azusa Pacific University and earned highest honors at Lewis & Clark Law School. She was notes and comments editor for the Lewis & Clark Law Review and received the Paul Casey Public Interest and Candise DuBoff-Jones Memorial Scholarships. As a student, Reuther worked as a summer associate at Haglund Kelley LLP and as a judicial extern for Chief Judge Ann Aiken of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. 10/13/17

Taylor Lewis JD ’16 joined litigation firm Hart Wagner LLP as an associate in their Portland office. Lewis’ practice will focus on commercial litigation, employment litigation, general tort liability litigation, and medical and legal malpractice defense. 3/20/18

Colby Stewart JD ’16 joined the CNMI Office of the Attorney General (Saipan Island) in its Civil Division. Stewart previously clerked for the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Municipality of Anchorage (Alaska), and served as the editor-in-chief of Animal Law Review. Following law school, he moved to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to serve as a staff attorney at the Law Revision Commission, where he aided in the codification of statutes and regulations, edited and composed legal publications, presented professional development trainings, worked on court policies and procedures, and assisted the Judiciary’s general counsel on a wide range of legal matters. 3/2/18

Heather Fossity JD ’17 has joined Barran Liebman’s employment litigation team. Fossity has a diverse legal background representing Oregon employers. 2/20/18

Josh Goldberg JD ’17 joined Barran Liebman. Goldberg represents employers and management in employment law litigation, and provides advice on a full range of employment law matters. After he earned his JD, Goldberg externed with the Honorable Ann Aiken, and served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Jerome LaBarre and the Honorable Andrew Lavin. Prior to law school, he served as a policy assistant for Governor Kate Brown JD ’85 during her tenure as Oregon’s secretary of state. 4/16/18

Jarell Hunt JD ’17 has joined Tonkon Torp LLP as an associate in its business department. A Portland native, Hunt worked with the firm during the summer while a student. Prior to earning his law degree, he also worked for several years at M Holdings Securities, where he gained insight into the financial services sector and experience with broker dealers, registered investment advisors, and funds. 10/30/17

Olivia Schneider Grabacki JD ’17 joined the business team of Portland law firm Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP as an associate. During law school, Schneider Grabacki served as a contracts teaching fellow, a peer mentor, and an extern for the Western Resources Legal Center. In 2015 and 2016, she worked as a law clerk for the Washington County District Attorney’s Office. In 2016, Schneider Grabacki participated in Miller Nash Graham & Dunn’s summer associate program, working on general business as well as environmental and natural resource litigation matters. 3/12/18

Eric DeWeese JD ’18 explores whether the colonization of space can inspire more sustainable ways of life on Earth in Rally to the Stars!, a novel about an extended family facing the increasingly catastrophic effects of climate change. 5/12/18

Births and Adoptions

Julie Penry JD ’04 and Jay Penry welcomed Charlotte Susannah Penry on May 24, 2017, in Corvallis, Oregon. She joins 5-year-old brother Leon. 10/13/17

Elektra B. Yao JD ’11 welcomed Maxime Lucia Elisa Sciarra, who was born in New York City. Maxime is named after her maternal great-grandfather Maxime Yao, who was a national judge in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. 6/4/18