• Overview
  • Representative Cases
  • Experience
  • Recognitions
  • Memberships
  • Professional Activities
  • Community Activities
  • News

Armed with a reputation for success, Julie Vacura is a true force in the courtroom and elsewhere. She approaches every case with uncompromising attention to detail and embraces all her clients with unwavering loyalty. Be it real estate or commercial disputes, breach of contract or class actions, in settlement or at trial, her strategy is the same: exceed her client’s expectations.

Education

  • Willamette University, J.D., cum laude, 1984
  • Santa Clara University, B.S., cum laude, 1981

Admitted

  • Oregon
  • Washington
  • U.S. District Courts, Oregon and Eastern and Western Districts of Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Julie R. Vacura
Julie R. Vacura Attorney
Chambers USA
American College
of Trial Lawyers
International Society
of Barristers
American Board of
Trial Advocates
Recognized by
Best Lawyers®
Rated By
Super Lawyers

Armed with a reputation for success, Julie Vacura is a true force in the courtroom and elsewhere. She approaches every case with uncompromising attention to detail and embraces all her clients with unwavering loyalty. Be it real estate or commercial disputes, breach of contract or class actions, in settlement or at trial, her strategy is the same: exceed her client’s expectations.

Representative Cases

Successfully represented national law firm in $20 million fee dispute with its former client in case involving claims for breach of contract, violation of ethical standards, and arbitrability.  The case settled on highly favorable terms shortly before the arbitration hearing.

Successfully represented numerous employees in a lawsuit by an international Fortune 500 company in a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, piracy and other similar claims, seeking damages of over $20 million. The case was settled on terms that met all parties’ needs to continue in their business endeavors.

Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on behalf of a financial institution for claims against a former employee for misappropriation of trade secrets and intentional interference with business relations and then, after some discovery, settled the case on terms highly favorable to our client.

Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on behalf of a member of an LLC against the managing member in a multi-million dollar lawsuit on claims of misappropriation of business opportunity, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract and other similar claims. The case was settled on terms highly favorable to our client just prior to arbitration.

Defended a Florida corporation with business holdings in Oregon against securities fraud and executive employment claims, settling a highly contentious dispute on terms favorable to our client.

Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a New York based clothing manufacturing client in a breach of contract case involving trademark disputes.

Won a defense verdict for a national bank after a jury trial on claims under the UCC for negligence brought by a business owner whose employee had embezzled business funds.

Won a multi-million dollar jury verdict on behalf of a closely held health care company in a highly complex derivative shareholders lawsuit in state court, prevailing on claims of breach of fiduciary duty, conversion and other similar claims.

Won a defense verdict for a regional business client after a jury trial in federal court in a multimillion dollar hotly contested, highly emotional action alleging misappropriation of business opportunity.

Obtained a jury defense verdict in federal court in favor of a national bank in a case involving claims brought under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and Oregon Unfair Debt Collection Practices Act, in which economic, emotional distress and punitive damages were sought.

Won a jury verdict in factually and technically complex state court dispute in favor of a national company on its claim against a competing business for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Represented a large credit union in a multimillion dollar complex commercial case involving liquidated damages under a contract termination clause. The case was settled on terms favorable to the client prior to trial in federal court in Washington.

Obtained an arbitration award in favor of a California LLC in arbitration of a dispute with a Washington real estate developer over a multimillion dollar sale of a shopping center for damages resulting from the developer’s breach of the land sale agreement.

In a complex commercial case, obtained summary judgment in favor of a regional business client against its insurers for failure to defend and indemnify.

Represented 17 homeowners to recover real property damages resulting from a landslide caused by improper excavation and other construction errors. After four weeks of trial the homeowners settled on highly favorable terms.

Represented five homeowners to recover real property damages resulting from soil subsidence caused by improper excavation and other construction errors. The clients settled on highly favorable terms shortly before trial.

Represented five homeowners whose homes were destroyed or damaged when an antique jet flying in an airshow crashed into their properties. At summary judgment, the court ruled that the airshow operator was strictly liable for the crash and vicariously liable for any negligence of the pilot, and rejected the defendant’s defense of federal preemption. The case thereafter settled on favorable terms for the homeowners.

Experience

Julie started her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Otto R. Skopil of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She then joined Miller Nash (Miller Nash Dunn and Graham) where she primarily practiced securities litigation and tried several cases. Before founding her own firm she practiced with the U.S. Department of Justice in its litigation section handling the Washington Public Power Supply System litigation involving the second largest municipal bond default in U.S. history. In 1999 Julie teamed with Bill Larkins to form Larkins Vacura LLP. An experienced trial attorney, Julie has litigated hundreds of cases for her clients in a broad range of subject areas and venues. Julie also acts as an arbitrator for the Arbitration Service of Portland and as an expert witness on attorney malpractice and attorney fees.

Julie is a frequent speaker on a broad range of litigation topics including Derivative Shareholder Actions, Preparing and Presenting Expert Witnesses, Summary Judgment, Cross Examination, Direct Examination, and Opening Statements and Closing Arguments. She has spoken at CLEs sponsored by the Oregon State Bar, Multnomah Bar Association, National Business Institute, Oregon Law Institute, and Oregon Women Lawyers.

Recognitions

Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (2014-present)

Fellow of the International Society of Barristers (2015-present)

Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates (2016-present)

Oregon Super Lawyers (2007-present); Top 25 Women Lawyers (2017-present); Top 50 Lawyers (2017-present)

Recognized in Best Lawyers® for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, and Litigation – Real Estate, in Oregon (2011-present)

Recognized in Best Lawyers® as 2020 Lawyer of the Year for Banking & Finance Litigation in Oregon

“AV Preeminent” Martindale-Hubbell ranking

Memberships

American College of Trial Lawyers

International Society of Barristers

American Board of Trial Advocates

Multnomah Bar Association

Oregon Women Lawyers

 

Professional Activities

American College of Trial Lawyers Access to Justice Committee (2018)

American College of Trial Lawyers Oregon State Committee (2015–present)

International Society of Barrister Board of Governors (2018)

Multnomah County Bar Foundation Board of Directors (2016–present)

Oregon Civil Justice Initiative Task Force (2017–2018)

Multnomah Bar Association Board of Directors (1999-2002)

Oregon State Bar Business Litigation Section Executive Committee (1998-2005; Chair, 2005)

Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board Region Five (1993-2000; Chair, 2000)

Oregon State Bar Board of Bar Examiners (1992-1995; Chair, 1995)

Oregon State Bar Board of Bar Examiners Special Investigator on Character and Fitness (2012)

CLE: Presenting Expert Witnesses, Multnomah Bar Association (2018)

CLE: Effective Motions for Summary Judgment, Oregon State Bar (2014, 2016, 2018)

CLE: Effective Direct Examination, Oregon Law Center (2017)

CLE: Discovery – Let’s Get Real, Multnomah Bar Association and Federal Bar Association (2016)

CLE: Trial Advocacy Instructor on Cross and Direct Examinations, Oregon Women Lawyers Trial Academy (2016)

CLE: Trial Practice: It’s All About Persuasion – Opening Statements, Oregon Law Institute (2015)

CLE: The Anatomy of a Derivative Action, Multnomah Bar Association (2012)

Community Activities

Julie has acted as a mentor to dozens of young attorneys and continues to do so through the Multnomah Bar Association and Oregon State Bar Mentoring Programs, and Oregon Women Lawyers. She regularly acts as a judge for high school and law school mock trial and moot court competitions.