Larkins Vacura Kayser is pleased to announce that Heather Cavanaugh, Bridget Donegan, Cody Hoesly, Chris Kayser, Bill Larkins, and Julie Vacura were recognized as Best Lawyers in Oregon in the 2021 Edition of Best Lawyers, and that Brett Applegate, Kelsey Benedick, and Hopi Costello Ruplin were recognized as Ones to Watch. The rankings are based on peer selection. Heather Cavanaugh was ranked a Best Lawyer for 2021 and is recognized in the field of Commercial Litigation Bridget Donegan was ranked a Best Lawyer for 2021 and is recognized in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Securities Litigation Cody Hoesly has been ranked a Best Lawyer since 2018 and is recognized in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Banking & Finance Litigation, and Appellate Practice Chris …

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys Bill Larkins and Kelsey Benedick recently defeated a motion to reconsider a Washington court’s dismissal with prejudice of claims for quiet title and declaratory relief brought against their client. The firm argued that plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration was improper because it raised new theories of the case that plaintiff could have raised previously and which were unsupported by plaintiff’s own factual allegations. Additionally, those new theories did not save plaintiff’s claim to title, which failed as a matter of law. The court agreed, and denied plaintiff’s motion to reconsider the dismissal with prejudice.

Larkins Vacura Kayser class action suit on behalf of investors who lost more than $17 million in failed American Eagle Mortgage funds featured in The Oregonian following removal of the suit to federal court.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys Julie Vacura and Kelsey Benedick, along with co-counsel Neil Klein and Maria del Rocio Ashby of McKasson & Klein, secured a default judgment of over $2 million in Oregon U.S. District Court on behalf of client Bunge S.A. Bunge, a global distributor of agricultural commodities, obtained a foreign arbitration award against Pacific Gulf Shipping (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. following its failure to pay Bunge for a chartered vessel. Bunge sought recognition, confirmation, and enforcement of the foreign arbitration award in the District of Oregon against Pacific Gulf as well as a related company that Bunge established acted as Pacific Gulf’s alter ego. The related company was the plaintiff in a separate lawsuit in the District of Oregon, …

Larkins Vacura Kayser is pleased to announce that Julie Vacura was again recognized as one of the Top 10 lawyers in Oregon, and one of the Top 25 women lawyers in Oregon, in the 2020 issue of Oregon Super Lawyers. The firm is also pleased to announce that Bill Larkins, Chris Kayser, and Cody Hoesly were also again recognized as Super Lawyers, signifying their place in the top 5% of all lawyers in Oregon. Finally, the firm is pleased to announce that Bridget Donegan and John Rake were again recognized as Rising Stars, signifying their place in the top 2.5% of all Oregon litigators under 40 or in their first 10 years of practice, and that Brett Applegate and Kelsey …

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys Chris Kayser and Heather Cavanaugh recently received a favorable decision in an arbitration they tried in February. The arbitrator awarded their client $706,000 in a case involving the breakup and dissolution of a dental practice.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Cody Hoesly filed an amicus brief on behalf of 26 immigration law, civil procedure, and administrative law professors in Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center v. Trump. The brief argues that the court has jurisdiction to hear the plaintiffs’ claims that the Trump administration has undermined impartial adjudication of immigration cases and failed to establish a fair immigration court system in which the plaintiff organizations can provide meaningful legal representation to their asylum-seeking clients.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Cody Hoesly filed an amicus brief on behalf of several Oregon political parties, urging the Oregon Supreme Court to reverse its prior precedent and hold that reasonable campaign contribution limits are permitted by the Oregon Constitution. On April 23, 2020, the court agreed in a unanimous opinion, which the media has described as “historic” and ushering in “a new era in campaign finance.” Multnomah County v. Mehrwein, 366 Or 295 (2020).

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Cody Hoesly has joined the Oregon Judicial Department Appellate Courts Workgroup, which is making recommendations to the Chief Justice on how Oregon appellate courts should respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

While the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s repercussions for all of us are rapidly evolving, Larkins Vacura Kayser strives to remain a constant source of support and peace of mind for our clients. In order to provide uninterrupted legal services, and for the health of our clients, employees, friends, family, and broader community, we have shifted to remote work arrangements and deployed technology to ensure our firm remains fully operational, integrated, and connected to the clients we serve. Our logistical changes may not be noticeable to many clients, as we pride ourselves on being a lean, adaptable, and resourceful organization, already capable of strategizing with our clients and advocating to courts through video-conferencing, phone calls, and email. Please let us know how we …

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Chris Kayser was interviewed by The Columbian about the firm’s recent filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of Oregon investors who lost over $17 million after investing in “American Equities” securities.  The class action, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, brings claims under the Oregon Securities Law against the lawyers who provided material aid to the unlawful securities offerings.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Cody Hoesly has joined the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Business Litigation Section. Hoesly is also a member of the Oregon Law Commission LLC Act Modernization Work Group, which is formulating proposed legislation to revamp Oregon’s decades-old Limited Liability Company Act.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Brett Applegate prevailed before the Arbitration Service of Portland on behalf of a Portland-area business in a dispute involving the ownership of a multi-million dollar apartment complex. The arbitrator granted a motion for summary disposition in favor of our client, awarding it the right to purchase from its business partner all shares in the apartment complex. The ruling represented a full victory for our client.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys John Rake and Bridget Donegan participated in the Oregon State Bar’s OLIO (Opportunities for Law in Oregon) Employment Retreat. LVK is proud to support OLIO’s mission to recruit and retain diverse legal talent in Oregon. John and Bridget volunteered in mock interview sessions with law students, and enjoyed the chance to talk with many diverse Oregon law students at an employer forum. Thanks to OLIO for a great event.

Larkins Vacura Kayser sponsored Best Buddies Oregon’s 2019 Champion of the Year Gala. Best Buddies is an international organization that works to create opportunities for meaningful one-on-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. LVK attorney Kelsey Benedick is on the 2019 Advisory Board for the Oregon chapter, and also served as a Best Buddies Champion, committing to raise $5,000 this year for Best Buddies Oregon. The Oregon chapter is working hard to open an office in Portland to bring Best Buddies’ mission of inclusion to Oregon and better serve Oregon residents. LVK is happy to support Best Buddies Oregon in these efforts.

Larkins Vacura Attorneys Chris Kayser, Hopi Ruplin, and Kelsey Benedick recently returned from spending a week in El Paso, Texas working on cases of asylum seekers who are fleeing their countries because they are persecuted for their political and religious beliefs or belong to a particular social group. Seeking asylum is difficult enough with representation. Without it, even the best cases have little chance of winning. The firm is proud to sponsor this work and grateful to Chris, Kelsey and Hopi for taking on this daunting challenge.

The attorneys and staff of Larkins Vacura Kayser are honored and delighted that our former partner Danielle Hunsaker has been confirmed by the United States Senate for a seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Along with the other federal circuit courts of appeals, the Ninth Circuit is below only the U.S. Supreme Court in our federal court system. Judge Hunsaker joined LVK as an associate attorney in 2009. She became a partner in 2014, and remained with our firm until she was appointed to the Washington County bench in December 2017. While practicing law here, Judge Hunsaker handled a heavy caseload of civil litigation matters, while also teaching at Lewis and Clark Law School, doing pro bono legal work, and …

Larkins Vacura Kayser is pleased to announce that it was again recognized in the 2020 Edition of Best Law Firms in Oregon. The firm was named as a Tier 1 Best Law Firm in Commercial Litigation and Banking & Finance Litigation, a Tier 2 Best Law Firm in Antitrust Litigation, and a Tier 3 Best Law Firm in Environmental Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, and Securities Litigation. The rankings are based on peer selection.

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorney Cody Hoesly prevailed before the Oregon Court of Appeals in Pride Disposal Co. v. Valet Waste LLC, 298 Or App 751 (2019). Affirming the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of our client, Valet, the Court of Appeals held that Valet’s business of taking trash from tenants’ apartments to on-site compactors at apartment complexes does not constitute “collection” or “transportation” of waste under two municipal codes, such that Valet does not violate a waste hauler’s exclusive franchise. The court explained that, in context, the terms “collection” and “transportation” mean taking waste from the compactor and driving it to the dump or other authorized facility. Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys John Dunbar and John Rake were …

Thanks everyone! We hope you had as much fun as we did.