Portland Trial Lawyer John Dunbar Joins Larkins Vacura LLP

Larkins Vacura LLP has announced that John Dunbar has joined the firm as a partner.

For five years, Dunbar headed the Special Litigation Unit at the Oregon Department of Justice. Serving under two different Oregon Attorneys General, Attorney General Kroger and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Dunbar led a trial team that focused on many of the State’s most important cases, including high-profile Constitutional challenges, tort claims against the State, complex regulatory cases and environmental litigation. Dunbar’s deep exposure to a wide variety of legal conflicts equips him for all facets of his complex commercial litigation practice. John’s diverse background includes, for example, in-depth forays into healthcare issues, environmental disputes, intellectual property, consumer disputes, and regulatory litigation. He also has represented private clients and the State in conducting or defending various investigations, including representing the State in investigations by the United States Department of Justice.

John has won trial verdicts in cases ranging from murder to antitrust. Some of his prominent cases include representing the State of Oregon in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice over improvements to Oregon’s mental health system, defeating a challenge by tobacco companies to restrictions on smokeless tobacco marketing, and successfully defending against a challenge to Ballot Measures 66 and 67, which generated critical revenue for the State during the recession.

“As a proven and highly respected trial attorney, John is an important addition to our firm. Our clients will benefit greatly from his experience and talent. We are delighted to have John join our partnership at Larkins Vacura.”

Before joining Oregon DOJ, Dunbar was a partner at the Portland law firm Ball Janik for almost 20 years, where he handled innumerable commercial, fraud and environmental cases for more than 20 years. Dunbar received an A.B. with high honors from the University of Notre Dame. Most recently, he practiced at Markowitz Herbold PC. Dunbar graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with honors in 1984. He clerked for U.S. District Judge Owen Panner from 1984 to 1986.