Case Profiles

Civil Rights, Environmental, and Public Interest

Police Assault: Civil Rights Action Brings Reform. We prosecuted a civil rights action on behalf of a woman who suffered serious permanent injuries when struck by a police baton at a political rally at Union Square in San Francisco. As part of the settlement the City of San Francisco adopted significant reforms for police training, police crowd control practices, and the use of police batons.

"Hit-Man": Aiding and Abetting Assault. We prosecuted an action against the publisher of "Hit Man: a Technical Manual for Independent Contractors," a detailed guide on how to kill people and get away with it, on behalf of a woman who was severely injured by a man who used the manual in a botched attempt to murder her. After Plaintiff's win against First Amendment challenges, we settled the claim.

Free Speech: Right to Testify. We defended the right of a professor of geology to testify at a public proceeding about geologic issues without first registering with the Oregon State Board of Geologist Examiners. In response to the case we filed in state court, the Board dismissed the action against the professor and repealed the unconstitutional rule.

Defense of Rights: OSPIRG. We successfully defended the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) against attempts to prevent it from receiving student funds through the State of Oregon's System of Higher Education. OSPIRG's rights were upheld on appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Salmon Recovery Plan Defended. We defended the Northwest Power Planning Council before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concerning its salmon recovery plan.

Negligent Forest Practices: Debris Torrents near Hubbard Creek. We brought claims against Champion International Corporation for negligent forest practices on steep, unstable hillsides. A debris torrent began from one of their steep clearcuts, killing four people injuring others, and destroying homes. We worked with geomorphologists, hydrologists, forest practice engineers, and a team of graduate students to establish the causal relationship between the clearcutting and the debris torrent.  As part of the litigation, we served on state committees and worked to tighten state regulation of logging on steep slopes.

Negligent Forest Practices: Debris Torrent on Hwy. 38. We also represented several people who were injured when a debris torrent from a dangerous clearcut along Highway 38 pushed their vehicles off the road and caused them serious injuries. The debris torrent also destroyed a home.

General Counsel for the Emerald Public Utility District. Our firm represents this public body in all matters (except bond counsel and occasional special counsel matters). Our services have covered the gamut of public law issues, including public contracting, public meetings and records, employment and personnel matters, elections, annexations, transactions, environmental issues, in addition to matters uniquely relevant to a publicly-owned electric utility.