- Child Support
- Child AbusePrevailed on an anti-SLAPP motion against a person who reported suspected child abuse. The child-abuse reporter based her statements on reasonable information conveyed by the child and the child's mother. In response, the suspected abuser sued the reporter for $1 million in punitive and compensatory damages. All claims against the child-abuse reporter were dismissed with prejudice and attorney’s fees were awarded.
- Criminal DefenseHow Bankruptcy Can Impact Your Clients: Basics for Criminal Law, Family Law, and Litigation Attorneys, Oregon State Bar, December 2018
- Wrongful DeathScuba Liability Defense: Successfully defended scuba instructors, shops, and various national certifying associations in Washington and Oregon courts for over 10 years against 7 figure claims for negligence and wrongful death. Two of Chris’s clients’ defense verdicts were upheld on appeal, creating new law in both states favorable to the scuba industry.
- FraudCommercial Real Estate: Represented a long-time client who was the purchaser in a complex real estate fraud/breach of contract matter involving a Section 1031 acquisition of a commercial office complex. The case took over 5 years to resolve, first within the JAMS arbitration system where our client prevailed after a 10-day hearing with a 7-figure award, and later in California state court to confirm and defend the award from challenges by the defendants. The case was ultimately settled before judgment was entered in the state court action. Chris’s client was awarded substantial damages, costs, and attorney’s fees.
- EmbezzlementNick’s practice focuses on helping businesses and business owners solve complex business problems. Nick also specializes in helping businesses facing financial problems and insolvency resulting from overwhelming debt, inadequate cash flow, and embezzlement or malfeasance by corporate directors or officers. Nick has successfully helped a variety of businesses reorganize their financial affairs, both in and outside of bankruptcy and receivership, including dairy farms, medical and dental offices, software development companies, restaurants, property developers, construction companies, gym owners, and trucking/transportation companies.
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and AcquisitionsIn addition to insolvency, bankruptcy and litigation matters, Nick represents small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of transactions, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, franchise sales, and various financial and banking matters.
- Business Formation
- Business DisputesTony Motschenbacher earned his undergraduate degree (a double major in finance and management) from the University of Oregon, ranking in the top 10% of his class. He ranked third in his 1990 graduating class at Willamette University College of Law (magna cum laude), serving as Associate Editor of the Willamette Law Review and on the Moot Court Board. Tony leads the firm’s business and real estate departments. Prior to forming the firm in 1996, Tony was associated with Preston Gates & Ellis’ Portland office. Prior to joining Preston, Tony was in private practice at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. Tony is a past vice-chair of the Oregon State Bar Board of Bar Examiners and currently an adjunct professor of Business Law (ACTG 485/585) at Portland State University. Outside of work, Tony is very active with youth sports. He has been a baseball manager for numerous Little League, Babe Ruth, and high school baseball teams. He has also been a basketball and baseball coach at Lincoln High School. Tony also served as Trustee with First Christian Church.
- Business TransactionsChris Blattner graduated from Willamette University before receiving his Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School. In addition to real estate, commercial litigation, and business transactions, Chris heads the firm’s litigation and intellectual property departments. He also has substantial experience with scuba liability defense litigation, a legal emphasis that has grown from his personal avocation for the sport. Chris is a longtime member of the board of Complementary Healthcare Plans, Inc., a provider of networks of alternative medicine professionals, and a board member of the Riverside Golf and Country Club. Chris also donates time to local charities and his church.
- Limited Liability Companies
- Construction ContractsOur attorneys are experienced in reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a variety of contracts involved in the construction industry, including prime contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, master agreements, design services agreements, consultant agreements, joint venture agreements, and partnership agreements.
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual Property
- Wrongful Termination
- Employment ContractMotschenbacher & Blattner LLP provides experienced legal counsel and advice to privately held companies and their owners. We apply extensive business and legal experience to solve our clients’ legal needs with a view toward understanding the underlying business challenges and opportunities. Our lawyers possess the necessary blend of legal knowledge, creativity, financial training, and business experience to provide legal advice in real world situations. Above all, we provide value to our clients. The firm has a reputation for providing personalized service to both large and small privately held businesses. Because we strive to build long-term relationships, we are very loyal to our clients. We are pleased to have participated in the growth and development of some of our largest clients, who consulted our firm when starting out as small “mom and pop” businesses. We have helped hundreds of businesses select the type of organizational entity under which to operate. Our business lawyers provide legal representation on matters involving real estate, business formation, contracts, negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity. We have extensive experience in acquiring and selling businesses, shareholder agreements and disputes, employment agreements, employee/employer relationships and disputes, formation documentation and contract drafting.
- Employment LitigationMotschenbacher & Blattner LLP represents both employers and employees in a wide variety of employment matters. Our goal is to help our clients minimize and prevent employment disputes through proper documentation and advice. Our clients routinely seek our counsel for...
- Severance Agreement
- Sexual Harassment
- Real Estate LitigationRyan Ripp earned his undergraduate degree from Western Oregon University, Monmouth, and his Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law. Ryan’s practice areas include business and real estate matters. He approaches all matters by utilizing a balance of creativity and pragmatism to provide his clients with the best possible result.
- Construction LitigationWe are experienced in the active resolution of construction disputes by negotiation and mediation, and, when necessary, arbitration and litigation. We practice before the state and federal courts in Oregon and Washington. We are also experienced appearing before the Oregon Construction Contractors Board and other state agencies in the administrative process.
- Real Estate TransactionsAlex’s real estate clients rely on his expertise in negotiating and documenting commercial real estate transactions and leases.
- Land Use and ZoningContributing author, "Did the Ninth Hit a Circuit Clout for Wireless Providers," Oregon Real Estate and Land Use Digest, August 2005.
- Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Condominium LawMotschenbacher & Blattner LLP provides legal counsel in all aspects of real estate law. With our extensive real estate experience, we are able to assist our clients in fulfilling their objectives within applicable laws and governmental requirements. We have assisted in a large range of real estate transactions, from purchasing large commercial malls to the sale of local corner “mom and pop” convenience stores. Our expertise includes Section 1031 exchanges, condominium conversions, commercial and residential development, purchases, sales, leases and options. Additionally, the firm provides assistance with the drafting and negotiating of contracts with architects, consultants, builders, developers, and governmental agencies, and the preparation of covenants, conditions, and restrictions, homeowner association agreements, real estate management agreements, and multi-use agreements. Our representation includes legal counsel to commercial developers in all aspects of development, including acquiring, permitting, building, and property management, residential developers in multi-phase subdivisions, and apartment complex owners in all aspects of construction, leasing, and tenant relationships.
- Estate PlanningMotschenbacher & Blattner LLP provides customized estate and business planning for our Oregon and Washington clients. We have assisted small and large companies, individuals, and families in securing the future of their businesses, estates, and heirs. We recognize that when planning for the future is delayed or ignored, families and businesses are put at risk. We therefore encourage our clients to speak with us openly about their estate planning goals and situations. From simple wills to complex planning, we listen to what clients want to achieve, take the time to understand their situation, and then work with them to create a customized estate plan that helps realize their personal dreams for their family or business. Examples of the types of estate planning tools and assistance we provide are...
- Wills
- Trusts
- Power of Attorney
- Probate
- BankruptcyNick Henderson earned his undergraduate degree (major in mathematics and minor in business) from the University of Utah and his Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School. Nick’s practice areas include business and commercial litigation, debtor-creditor law and bankruptcy. Nick assists small businesses with collection issues and bankruptcy litigation, including preference and non-dischargeability matters. Nick’s practice also focuses on assisting small businesses and their owners reorganize through Chapters 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Prior to joining the firm, Nick was in private practice at Henderson Trauman, P.C.
- ForeclosureOur attorneys also help small businesses and their owners with out-of-court workouts, loan modifications, assignments and receiverships. We’ve helped our clients negotiate and reorganize millions of dollars of debt, avoid foreclosure, preserve company assets and continue business operations. When our clients are creditors, we help them recover amounts owed under contracts and business disputes through private mediation, arbitration or litigation in state and federal courts. Our attorneys have helped our clients collect millions of dollars owed to them through a variety of judgment collection procedures, including execution and sheriff sales, foreclosure, garnishment, fraudulent transfer litigation, charging liens, and other collection procedures.
- Tax Law