Sherwood Business Lawyers

Peak Franchise Law focuses on franchise law and areas of law that complement the franchise legal practice, including business entity formations; trademark law; business sales and acquisitions; intellectual property rights; and a variety of commercial contracts.

With respect to franchise law, the firm creates and reviews Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), prepares and files state franchise registrations, advises on franchise relationship matters, negotiates franchise-related contracts, helps U.S. companies expand internationally through franchising and licensing, helps international companies franchise in the United States, and provides other franchise legal services.

With respect to business sales and acquisitions, the firm represents buyers and sellers...

In 30 years of law practice, Dean Alterman has advised private businesses and real estate investors across a range that includes buying, selling, and leasing commercial and multi-family real estate, negotiating development agreements, forming condominiums, acquiring and selling businesses, and the other legal matters that come up in the business world. Known for his unusual memory and his mathematical mind, Dean brings to his practice the experience of eight years in real estate sales, two terms on a county planning commission, and a stint as an outside director of a community bank and its holding company.
Dean frequently speaks and writes...

I offer entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the owners of those businesses, access to straightforward, cost-effective, and responsive legal services for the three major stages of a business's lifecycle: the startup, the operation, and the transition (such as a sale, transfer or closing down) of the business. For clients, this means access to a top notch, experienced attorney focused exclusively on the types of transactional issues that directly affect your business.

Aaron Ferreira grew up in Livermore, California. As an undergrad, he attended the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), first studying Computer Science and then graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. After graduation, he got his feet wet in the legal profession by working for three years as a legal assistant in Shell Beach, California.



In 1997, Aaron entered the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, in Portland, Oregon. While attending law school, he participated in law review as a Research Editor and then Articles Editor for the...

Mr. Newman's clientele have included law firms, individuals, and small and medium sized entities in various locations in the United States and around the world, including a niche Brasilian practice. In addition to Mr. Newman's legal experience as a registered patent attorney and working as a litigation and a transactional attorney, he has worked as a CEO of a start-up company, as an associate in an incubator, and he has performed financial valuations of intellectual property both as a function of litigation and arms-length transactions.

I primarily practice in the areas of product liability, aviation and commercial litigation. I have tried cases to juries through the state of Oregon.

I handle civil litigation, business, real estate, and fiduciary litigation matters. For litigation matters, my focus is Oregon state court, although I also appear in Oregon Federal District Court. I am well-versed in all phases of litigation and comfortable taking a case to trial. Given the risk and expense of litigation, many cases settle before trial. I have participated in numerous mediations and judicial settlement conferences. However, sometimes settlement does not make sense and a client needs their day in court. I thoroughly enjoy the challenges and complexities that trial brings and feel at ease...

Ann Chapman has been practicing in the bankruptcy arena for nearly forty years. She specializes in the representation of individuals and small business in Chapters 7 (liquidation) and Chapter 13 (wage earner and small business reorganization), focusing primarily on debtor representation. She has been recognized for her many achievements, including public speaking on bankruptcy topics on a regional and local basis, her pro bono efforts and her professionalism as a member of the bar. She has been A/V rated by Martindale Hubbell for over 25 years and has been a Super Lawyer in the consumer area for more than 10 years....

After spending the first part of my career working for a prominent Portland defense firm, I rededicated my practice to representing individuals and families who have been injured through the negligence of others. My clients benefit from my big firm experience and my small firm attention to them as individuals. I bring extensive experience in personal injury matters, having represented clients in cases involving car and truck accidents, product defects, medical malpractice, and claims of wrongful death. I am familiar with how insurance defense firms evaluate cases and defend them at trial, which lends invaluable strategy and credibility to my clients'...

James Oberholtzer has provided legal services to clients for over 35 years. He has provided legal representation to: Families. Estate planning, family wealth planning, wills and trusts, taxation of wills and trusts, guardianship and conservatorships, creation and administration of trusts, and probate of estates. Entrepreneurs. Closely held companies, family partnerships and individual entrepreneurs in formation and finance of enterprises, acquisitions and joint ventures, strategic planning and executive compensation, entity governance, integration of tax, legal and business objectives, protection of intellectual property and selection and supervision of local counsel. Senior Housing. Senior housing owners and operators...

As a trial attorney, Pete Viteznik focuses on litigation involving commercial litigation, construction, liens and payment disputes, delay of claims and insurance coverage, and construction defects for developers, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and design professionals. He has a reputation as a skilled negotiator who consistently wins cases and settles large cost recovery claims for his clients.

Pete is recognized as one of the premier business and construction litigators in the Pacific Northwest and over the course of his 26-year career has tried and arbitrated cases throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. He has argued and prevailed on several important...

Katia is a cannabis business litigator experienced in disputes concerning contracts, commercial leases, and business torts. Katia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Vermont Law School, where she was the Articles Editor for the Vermont Law Review, and received  numerous accolades, including a certificate in the Experiential Advocacy Program, the Endowed J. Scott Cameron Scholarship,  Vermont Law Academic Scholarship, and the CALI Excellence Awards for achieving the highest grades in Negotiation and Evidence.

Registered patent attorney with several years of experience in practicing intellectual property (IP) law, particularly in the areas of preparing and prosecuting patent, trademark, and copyright applications, patentability and infringement analyses, strategic IP counseling, and enforcing intellectual property rights.

A native of Minnesota, she attended law school in Indiana where she held a clerkship with the Marshall Superior Court in Plymouth, Indiana. Heading west on the Oregon Trail, she earned a masters in law degree from Lewis & Clark College of Law in Portland before starting to practice law in Oregon.

John’s practice is almost exclusively in the context of business and commercial disputes, with a particular emphasis on litigating limited liability company, corporate and partnership disputes, state and federal securities claims, construction contract and lien enforcement actions, and probate and trust matters in Oregon and Washington. He has tried dozens of cases to verdict and litigated hundreds of cases through arbitration, summary determination, or other successful adjudication. With a family background in business ownership, John possesses unique insight into his clients’ personal investment in and commitment to running successful businesses. Consequently, he prides himself on keeping his clients’ ultimate goals in...

Jason is a self-starting, go-getting lawyer who takes a pragmatic approach to helping his clients. He co-founded Fortify Law because he was not satisfied with the traditional approach to providing legal services. He firmly believes that legal costs should be predictable, transparent and value-driven. Jason’s entrepreneurial mindset enables him to better understand his clients’ needs. His first taste of entrepreneurship came from an early age when he helped manage his family’s small free-range cattle farm. Every morning, before school, he would deliver hay to a herd of 50 hungry cows. In addition, he was responsible for sweeping "the shop" at...

Benjamin Ybarra, Attorney at Law is a general practice that serves the Portland metropolitan area. I work with individuals and businesses in a variety of transactional areas and legal disputes.

J. D., University of Oregon School of Law, certificate in Intellectual Property. B. A., University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

I am a business lawyer who thinks like a businessman. Providing the kind of services my business clients need really is that simple. My practice focuses on litigation solutions that are consistent not at odds with my clients' business needs. My firm, Slinde Nelson, offers full service, innovative solutions to business clients throughout the region. We handle entity formation, buying and selling of businesses, employment law matters and employee relations issues, intellectual property matters, trade secrets, real estate and construction matters, and just about any other issue that comes up in the business setting.

Justice primarily focuses his practice on business, commercial, employment, and tort litigation. Justice's objective is to obtain favorable outcomes for each of his clients though competent and responsive legal advocacy. Justice leverages his litigation experience, including multiple jury and bench trials to meet and often exceed client expectations.

Justice also advises clients concerning various business matters including, but not limited to, entity creation, contracts, real estate, and licensure. Justice utilizes an industry-focused approach to help clients naviagate their business issues.

Justice provides labor and employment training for employers. The training focuses on the prevention of claims and how to mitigate and...

Ryan Ripp founded RHR Business Law, LLC for the purpose of making the legal system more accessible to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and investors. He has experience forming entities, providing securities law guidance, and drafting a wide array of business and employment contracts. While in law school, his legal thesis focused on making employee stock option plans and agreements more accessible to the startup community. Licensed to practice in Oregon.

Scott Mullins handles litigation in the areas of securities, FINRA arbitration, investment advisers, regulatory compliance, professional licensing, health insurance, and shareholder disputes. He also routinely defends individuals and companies in Government investigations and prosecutions involving these practice areas.

Prior to joining McGaughey Erickson, Scott was Senior Counsel at a commercial litigation firm, and before that, he worked as a securities regulator in Oregon, where he investigated dozens of registered investment advisers involving the sale of private placements, income assignments, notes, investment contracts, and structured settlements. Scott was also cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the...

Heidi was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, coming from a family who has lived in the Pacific Northwest for four generations. Prior to law school, Heidi worked for five years as a victim’s advocate for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Her love of collaborating with clients to achieve a goal of safety for their future, stems from this work. Heidi is a graduate of Willamette University College of Law, where she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence. During her time in law school, she discovered her love for the area of estate planning, spending a year in a half in...

Will is a results-driven and passionate attorney who values transparency and honest communication with his clients. He understands that each client provides a unique and valuable perspective, and knows that the best way to succeed is to work together, with mutual respect. Will believes that the legal industry has too long been concerned with money and image, rather than results and good relationships. Will grew up in New Mexico, where his parents were serial entrepreneurs, operating numerous types of businesses. By the time he was a young adult, he had gained a wide variety of experience, ranging from working in an...

Nothing makes me happier than to help clients through a complicated legal issue and have them come out the other side ready to move on with their lives. Whether you are going through a probate, guardianship, adoption, need an estate plan, or starting a business, I can help you through the process. As a sole practitioner I like to work closely with my clients. Your legal issues are important to me and I want to be accessible. I am also Of Counsel with the Harris Law Firm and can tap into a team of outstanding attorneys that can...

John is a international lawyer with multiple post graduate degrees from both U.S. and European schools. He is a certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Controls Specialist. He has extensive multifaceted experience in business law and litigation.

JMFord Law Office
Jack Milford Ford

Jack has been a member of the Oregon State Bar for over 40 years, as well as the American State Bar. During that time, Jack has held various corporate positions including Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, General Counsel and Board Member for a number of public and private corporations. Jack has also been a managing partner in a law firm, as well as Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oregon. Since 2008, Jack has practiced law as a sole practitioner in the JMFord Law Office. He has been a member of ATM International...

Raised in the Northwest. Private practice for over 20 years in the business/real estate areas. Extensive litigation experience, including in the Court of Appeals, Oregon Supreme Court, and federal courts as well.

Masters in Taxation, New York University School of Law

For more than 40 years, Bob has handled shareholder, partnership & LLC disputes, securities & investment lawsuits & arbitrations. During that time, Bob has served as a mediator and arbitrator on more than 100 matters. Bob is the author of Oregon Securities Law Handbook, Oregon Corporate Law Handbook and numerous articles on business law. Bob is past Chair of OSB Securities Regulation Section and OSB Business Litigation Section. He is a past member of the OSB House of Delegates. Bob has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is included among Oregon Super Lawyers.

Business Law, Construction Law, General Civil, Injury Law

Firm Founder/Managing Attorney. Randal attended Portland’s Wilson High School before heading to California for college and then New York for law school. He was lured back to Portland in 1991 to work for a large, regional law firm. Thereafter, he started his own practice in Portland, OR. Randal offers significant trial experience and has represented a variety of businesses in most industries. Randal oversees all firm matters and focuses primarily on business representation and litigation

Mia is Portland business lawyer and a member of the Oregon and Washington State Bars. She practices general business law, specializing in legal marijuana, hemp, and CBD out of Gleam Law’s Portland, OR office. She is known for her expertise on cannabis tax law, cannabis licensing, and psychedelics law. Mia has served clients throughout the industry, from OLCC licensees to policy advocates and industrial hemp businesses. She is also VP and Secretary of the Oregon Industry Progress Association, a political action group advocating for business friendly-change to Oregon’s recreational cannabis policy. She also has an Oregon and California CPA (inactive). An...