Client Collaborations

Portland Administrative Law Counsel. Represented clients in diverse permitting, enforcement, and appeal matters before City of Portland bureaus and offices, including the Bureau of Development Services, Bureau of Environmental Services, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Bureau of Revenue and Financial Services, Bureau of Transportation, Housing Bureau, Water Bureau, Hearings Office, and City Council.

Successfully represented cylinder manufacturer in a challenge to a final EPA rule banning use of non-refillable cylinders in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The decision, Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International et al. v. EPA et al., can be found here.

Counseled numerous tribal clients on cannabis compacts and implementation of tribal regulatory structure, drafted tribal commercial cannabis code, prepared formation documents for commercial cannabis entities, prepared vendor contracts, and advised on other regulatory and transactional issues related to tribal cannabis activities.

Prepare individually-designed plan documents and SPDs for all types of deferred compensation and health and welfare plans. Help employers design their plans to fulfill the employers' objectives. Prepare profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, money purchase pension plans, traditional defined benefit plans, 403(b) plans, 457(b) plans, nonqualified plans, cafeteria plans, health flexible spending arrangements, DCAPs, HSAs, severance plans, EAPs, educational assistance plans, trust agreements, medical reimbursement plans, and wrap-around plans. Prepare defined contribution plans with varying features, including safe-harbor 401(k) plans, automatic enrollment, and Roth contributions. Prepare plans with all types of employer contribution formulas, including integration with Social Security, new comparability, and age- and service-weighted formulas. Monitor law changes and keeps the plan documents up-to-date. Prepare all types of notices to participants, including 204(h) notices, QDIA notices, safe-harbor notices, automatic enrollment notices, benefit forms, COBRA notices, and privacy notices.

Portland School District v. Great American Insurance Company. Complete recovery of more than $2 million building damage claim caused by roofing fire at middle school, plus fees. Trial and appellate claims against roofing contractor’s excess insurance carrier, including successful assignment of the contractor's claims against its excess liability insurer.

Represented a Delaware disaster insurance and recovery corporation in negotiations to sell to a competitor.

Lottery Enforcement Response. Responded to enforcement actions by the Oregon State Lottery, including appeal and negotiation with the Oregon State Lottery to obtain withdrawal of lottery retailer contract termination order.

Assisted buyer with purchase of 135 acre site and later annexation.

Drafted numerous tribal code provisions and resolutions for more than half a dozen tribes.