Executive Committee

SSF Executive Committee

John C. Koch (2021 Chair)

John Koch is a solo practitioner and founder of Koch Law, LLC. He lives and works in Lake Oswego, and serves clients primarily in the Portland metro area. His practice focuses on estate planning and administration, guardianships and conservatorships, elder law, and closely-held/family businesses. He earned his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, where he served as an editor of the Lewis & Clark Law Review, and his B.A. from Rice University. He regularly volunteers with the Senior Law Project of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, and in 2018 was named Volunteer of the Year. John joined the SSF Section because he sees the value in solo and small firm attorneys uniting to address their practice issues together. He enjoys tennis (playing), basketball (watching), and exploring Oregon.

Diane C. Cady (2021 Chair Elect)

Diane Cady, owner of Trillium Law PC is a native Oregonian. She grew up in Bend and attended college at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Ms. Cady studied law at Willamette University with an emphasis on employment and also served as executive editor of the Willamette Law Review.

Ms. Cady has experience in several different areas of practice, including discrimination in employment, claims for unpaid wages and unemployment benefit hearings and appeals, administrative law and appeals, drafting and reviewing contracts, and drafting wills, trusts and other estate planning documents. She spends her spare time with her family, volunteering in the children’s schools, and enjoying the outdoors.

Jorden Piraino (2021 Past Chair)

Jorden is a solo practitioner in Portland, practicing in estate planning and business law. Born and raised in Southern California, Jorden received his bachelors in Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies from Cal State University San Marcos in 2008. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for the law, consequently, he attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego California and received his Juris Doctor in 2013. Jorden moved to the Portland area in 2015 to build his practice and support his family. His hobbies include hiking, volleyball, basketball, guitar (very poorly played) and general tomfoolery.

Dona Marie Hippert (2021 Secretary)

Dona Marie Hippert currently has a solo practice in Southwest Portland, focused on estate planning and consumer and elder law. In that capacity, she very much enjoys volunteering every month with Legal Aid’s Senior Law Project. She spent her first 10 years after law school as a pro bono advocate for pesticide and chemicals policy reform.

Born in NYC, she then spent a quarter century in Texas, ending up with a botany degree and first career as an ornamental horticulturist (gardener). After landing in Oregon, where she’s now lived longer than anywhere else, she stumbled into her legal career. While searching the Willamette valley to find suitable land to start an organic farm, Dona was called up for jury duty and fell in love with the law. After attending Lewis and Clark Law School on a Dean’s Fellowship, she started practicing law in 2004. She still enjoys gardening, along with cooking, hiking, and travel.

Arnold H. Wuhrman (2021 Treasurer)

Since 1985, Arnie Wuhrman has been on the front lines of the battle for financial security for his clients. After receiving a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and a J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, Arnie embarked upon a career in financially-related legal services. Arnie’s experience includes representing thousands of taxpayers in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing agencies, as well as handling thousands of bankruptcy cases, from small consumer cases to reorganizations of companies worth tens of millions of dollars, and representing virtually all possible sides to bankruptcy cases – debtors, creditors and trustees. A member of the Bar in California, Illinois (currently inactive), Indiana (currently inactive), Oklahoma, and Oregon, Arnie currently practices out of an office in Lake Oswego.

Hertsel Shadian (2020 Member at Large)

Hertsel Shadian is the owner and manager of Hertsel Shadian, Attorney at Law, LLC, located in Tualatin, Oregon, which firm he formed in April 2008. Hertsel’s practice focuses on taxation (including tax controversies), business and transactional matters, estate planning, and nonprofit law. Hertsel graduated from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science in 1993, graduated from the Gonzaga University School of Law with a JD (including a tax and business certification) in 1997, and obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law in 1998.

Hertsel has authored and/or been a contributing editor for several legal books and treatises for Thomson West, and also has written numerous articles on various tax topics, including for Mertens Law of Federal Income Taxation, Current Developments and Highlights, and for the Oregon State Bar Taxation Section Newsletter. He further has spoken on various tax topics.

Scott D. Schnuck (2021 Member at Large)

Scott is a partner in Altus Law LLC, a firm that represents small and mid-size businesses, including contractors and professional service providers, throughout litigation, transactions, and regulatory compliance matters. He brings a wealth of business education and experience to the table. He has an MBA, and worked in operations and management positions for 17 years before enrolling at Lewis and Clark Law School, where he focused on business law. Scott was a member and associate editor of the law review. He received several scholarships and awards relating to business law, and he graduated with honors. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers in the area of construction law. Scott is also a frequent guest lecturer with the University of Oregon business program and is an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School, where he teaches Law Practice Management. Scott is the 2017 SSF Executive Committee representative to the OSB Futures committee and presents at the Legal Lunchbox.

Caitlin M. Wong (2021 Member-at-Large)

Caitlin Wong focuses her practice on taxation, estate planning, trust and estate administration, business formation and transactions, tax controversy, business succession planning and wealth preservation, and trust and estate (fiduciary) litigation. She helps families prepare and plan for the future when they need to pass money, property, and business interests, all while avoiding unnecessary taxes and disputes between family members after the death of a loved one. She also represents companies seeking to navigate their tax and business legal risks through practical solutions. Caitlin has an LL.M. in Taxation and is admitted to practice law in Oregon (since 2009) and Washington (since 2013).

Andrew D. Ginis (2021 Member-at-Large)

Andrew Ginis is an attorney at Myatt & Bell PC in Southwest Portland. He is a Michigan native, receiving an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor before moving to Portland where he received his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. He also holds an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. Andrew’s practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration, and tax issues. Outside of the office, Andrew enjoys cooking, mushroom hunting, cycling, and spending time with his husband and two dogs.

Rob Hofmann (2021 Member-at-Large)

Rob is principal of the Hofmann Legal Group and represents business clients in the structuring, negotiation, and implementation of a wide range of complex business and real estate transactions, including commercial leases, intricate real and personal property acquisitions and sales, commercial development projects, commercial loan and lease workouts, specialized land use permitting and alcoholic beverage licensing matters (California), and property tax exemptions and appeals. He advises clients on a broad array of entity formation and business restructuring issues, corporate governance (including non-profits), employment law matters, and represents clients in various permitting and regulatory compliance controversies and appeals. In addition to his law degree, Rob has a Master of Science degree in Taxation (MST) from San Jose State University and a Master of Business (MBA) degree from the University of California at Davis. Rob is also licensed to practice law in California.

Christopher J. Graves (2021 Member-at-Large)

Graves & Swanson LLC partner Christopher “C.J.” Graves invests himself in each and every case he handles, and has a passion for helping his clients resolve their legal matters and move forward with their lives. He has spent his career as a litigator and a trial attorney, and is more comfortable in a court room than in an office. C.J. has served as first chair in numerous trials, including high-conflict cases relating to dissolution, domestic violence, parenting time, custody, and division of property. He has handled legal issues involving jurisdictional challenges, high asset divorces, tax implications, and complex matters involving marital estate finance, including but not limited to the separation of businesses, retirement accounts, pensions, and spousal support.

Ellyn R. Stier (2021 Member-at-Large)

Ellyn Stier is the owner of Lake Oswego Elder Law, P.C., a mother of two, an alternative country singer and guitar player, and dog lover. She has authored articles for the Oregon State Bar and the Oregon Law Institute, and spoken at continuing education programs for lawyers on topics such as the ethics of representing clients with diminished capacity, guardianships and conservatorships, and elder financial abuse. Her practice also includes estate and Medicaid planning, probate, and trust administration for people of all ages. She especially enjoys helping families navigate complex decision-making when a loved one has been diagnosed with a form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. Ellyn graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1993, where she was the co-President of the Women’s Law Caucus.

James Mills (2021 Member-at-Large)

James Mills is a solo practitioner licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California. He helps clients navigate through the difficulties that modern life presents, guiding them to solutions for legal conflicts that involve family members, business partners, or third parties. He also advises entrepreneurs in starting and running their businesses, and helps clients address issues related to real estate transactions and estate planning. As a trial lawyer, James’ practice includes advocating for clients in employment, intellectual property, personal injury, and business litigation cases.

James was raised in a military family, growing up in Korea, Japan, Kentucky and California. He was exposed at an early age to life’s complexities in the diverse communities where he lived. James earned his law degree from the University of Texas, Austin, after receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University.

Julia Fraser (2021 Member-at-Large)

Julia is a solo attorney in Portland. Her practice focuses on estate planning, employment discrimination, and family law. Julia has been selected to participate in the 2020 cohort of the Clackamas Women’s Services’ Legal Empowerment Accelerator Program (LEAP), where she will provide trauma-informed advocacy and representation for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Julia was born and bred in New Zealand, but moved to Portland in 2008 with her wife, Jess. Julia has an M.Sc. in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University, and she received her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. She is admitted to practice law in Oregon. Julia is on the Executive Board of Howard’s Heart, a non-profit organization that serves teens in foster care in Multnomah County.

Kelly Doyle (2021 Member-at-Large)

Mr. Kelly Doyle is a native Oregonian and a graduate of Willamette University College of law. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar, the Federal Bar and the Grand Ronde Tribal Bar. Kelly has been in sole practice since the get-go and was chair of this section in 2000 and 2010. Kelly has a variety of practice areas. His first case was in environmental law, Kelly then started doing domestic relations, criminal law, family juvenile law, real estate, landlord-tenant, wills and trusts (estate planning), education law, elder law and general civil litigation. Kelly also represents a non-profit. Mr. Doyle serves as an arbitrator in both Multnomah and Clackamas counties. He served as a volunteer mediator in Multnomah county for twenty years and has had training in basic mediation, family law mediation and estate mediation and is trying to expand that area of his practice. Apart from being active in the legal community and active in his faith community, Kelly enjoys playing Pinochle, and puttering in the garden. Kelly is married to Susan and they have one child (deceased).

Ekua A. Hackman (2021 Member-at-Large)

Ekua is a Fellow Attorney with The Commons Law Center, practicing in estate planning and probate. Born and raised in Stockton, California, Ekua received her bachelors in Sociology from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles in 2011. She realized she wanted to combine her desire to serve the community with the practice of law, so she attended Willamette University, College of Law in Salem, Oregon, and graduated in 2015. Her hobbies include reading and watching fantasy and science fiction, baking, and avidly listening to music.

Stefyni Allen (2021 Member-at-large)

Stefyni is a solo attorney in Salem at Allen Law LLC, focusing her practice primarily on Family Law. She largely works with low income clientele through the Modest Means Program of the Oregon State Bar. Stefyni received her J.D. from the Willamette University College of Law and her B.A. from UC Davis, where she studied sociology.

Heather Decker (Guest)

Heather helps lawyers manage their time and work to increase profits, reduce stress and have time for life at tcb coaching + consulting. She brings 20 years experience as a litigation attorney in solo practice and small firms, and as Professional Development Director in a big firm. She offers individual coaching engagements, and retreat facilitation and professional development services “for hire” for law firms.

David James Robinson (Guest)

David is a solo and cloud-based attorney in the Portland metropolitan area, brick-and-mortar as Of Counsel in the office of Paul B. Osterlund Law, serving Toledo, OR and the Central Oregon Coast. Practice areas include estate planning for taxable and nontaxable estates, business law, including entity formation, buyer and seller business acquisitions, commercial lease negotiation, and employment/independent contractor agreements, tax, nonprofit law and board governance, municipal and taxing districts, real estate, and family law.

Stacey McCormack (Associate Member)

Stacey is the CEO of Musimack Marketing, a full-service digital marketing agency in Tigard. With over 20 years’ experience in media and advertising, her background includes marketing roles at Entercom Radio, Tribune Broadcasting, Comcast Spotlight, and The Oregonian. She is passionate about helping professional service providers shine online through website design, SEO, social media and digital advertising.

LIAISONS

Bill C. Penn- OSB Liaison

Bill Penn is the Assistant Director Oregon Law Foundation/Legal Services Program at the Oregon State Bar. Previously, Bill was the Assistant Director of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, and an Adjunct Professor and Director of Public Interest Law at Lewis and Clark Law School. He has a JD with a Tax Certificate from Lewis and Clark Law School, and a BA in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology.