Happy Valley Estate Planning Lawyers

Michael O’Brien’s practices focuses on discrete, customer-specific solutions for individuals and small business owners facing insolvency, bankruptcy or foreclosure problems. With an eye towards protection of the individual and his/her family and assets, he strives to plan for a soft touchdown at difficult time as opposed to a crash landing. Mr. O’Brien is a results oriented attorney who helps his clients obtain common sense, practical results to get them back on the track to prosperity. Michael O’Brien is one of only three attorneys in the state of Oregon who is certified as a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist by the...

I’m a partner with Fitzwater Law and have practiced with this firm for 22 years. My practice emphasizes legal issues unique to the elderly and their families, including guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, probate estates, trust administration, and estate planning. Some of my favorite cases are the emergency (“temporary”) guardianships and conservatorships. I received my J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1998. I value helping people in times of crisis by making the legal system understandable. I pride myself on being reliable and thorough in my work, while striving to take the mystery out of the legal process. ...

My practice emphasizes the legal and crisis issues faced by the elderly and their families, including incapacity, guardianship, long-term care, and end-of-life concerns. In my 30+ years of practice, I have truly enjoyed the relationships I have developed with my clients and their families. I have the privilege of helping and protecting them – often at one of the most difficult times in their lives. I count myself very fortunate because I like my job. I enjoy the wonderful group of attorneys and staff I work with every day. Most importantly, I get to help clients who need and appreciate...

I am a partner with Fitzwater Law. My practice consists of estate planning and administration, including the preparation of wills and trusts, gift and estate tax planning, special needs planning, and the administration of trusts and probate estates.

Estate planning and administration is the only area of law out there for me. There is no other area of law in which I would rather practice. Over the years I have discovered that my job typically consists of equal parts teaching, counseling and lawyering. Tellingly, teaching and psychology were the other careers I considered before deciding on law. I feel incredibly fortunate...

Joanna Posey became a lawyer because she wanted to help people. Drawn to family law after opening her own practice, Joanna takes pride in being able to empower her clients during an otherwise stressful and emotionally charged time in their lives. She finds it extremely gratifying to help a client take the first steps toward a new beginning, and enjoys working to resolve the unique issues in each case.

We help families and business owners plan for now and the future. This is done through estate planning and business planning. Our process is to educate clients about opportunities - and problems - they or their family may encounter down the road. Next, we help them identify their priorities and goals, and then develop a plan to accomplish those goals. This sometimes involves using advanced legal structures and techniques, but we keep the explanations straight forward and understandable. After all, a great plan isn’t that great if you don’t understand it. Quality planning that you understand is...

Focused practice in high asset and complex divorce and custody issues.

Lauren Barnhart grew up in Tacoma, Washington with her mom, three brothers and a village of aunts and uncles. Lauren learned at an early age that hard work and creative solutions can allow you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Lauren realized early on that she would need to find her own way to pay for college, so by her senior year, she had secured a full-ride music scholarship to a four-year university, and performed in Carnegie Hall as the principal bassoonist in the Tacoma Youth Symphony. Lauren entered law school with lofty ambitions of bringing international war criminals to justice, but...

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...

I am a reformed litigator. While rewarding, litigation focuses on cleaning up messes due to poor planning. I knew there was a better way to practice law, and I find it much more rewarding. That better way is to serve my clients as an Estate Planning Attorney and Business Planning Attorney.

My new role is to help my clients avoid the need of a litigator’s services. Working with my personal and business clients I strive to anticipate and head off problems that far too often end up costing lots of money to deal with.

I help families, individuals and their loved...

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...

Jonathan D. Mishkin, LL.M., has 15+ years as a practicing tax and estate planning attorney where he utilizes his extensive background in individual, corporate, international and real estate taxation along with knowledge in asset protection/estate planning techniques to consult with clients in matters of estate planning and tax mitigation strategies.

Mr. Mishkin has an economics and political science degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center where he served as the Graduate Tax Policy Scholar advising the United...

Jason Pierson became a lawyer to be a voice for people who feel trivialized by divorce-especially children. During a divorce, a child can sometimes feel as though their opinion doesn’t matter. Jason’s passion is to advocate for his client's children and help them succeed. Prior to attending law school, Jason worked as a paralegal in Las Vegas mostly in construction defect law firms for about eight years.

Michael’s practice emphasizes estate planning, estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, long-term care planning, and special needs trusts.

Prior to attending law school, Michael gained experience working with seniors and people with disabilities while earning a master’s degree in social work. During law school, he added a financial perspective to his background working as a securities broker for Charles Schwab, Inc. Upon graduation, Michael clerked for the Honorable C. Jean Stewart, Judge of the Denver Probate Court. As an attorney, Michael draws on his background, representing seniors, people with disabilities, and their families on a range of planning, administration, and crisis-management issues.

Michael...

Rob Le Chevallier practices business law, business formation, estate planning, trust administration, real estate law, and corporate financing. Rob serves as corporate counsel for a variety of manufacturing and service companies. He has been described by the Oregonian as “the legal profession’s equivalent of a midwife” to hundreds of businesses in the Portland area.

Rob particularly focuses on the estate planning needs of business owners, who are often so preoccupied with their business that they neglect their own succession issues. Rob prepares estate plans for business owners and other high net-worth individuals and their families with an...

Jeff moved his practice to Lake Oswego in 2006. Since then, he and his team have helped numerous businesses and individuals navigate through turbulent legal waters. When the housing and banking crisis hit hard, Jeff was one of the few attorneys in Oregon who was willing to take on the complex defense litigation against the banks and mortgage servicers to help Oregon homeowners fight to save their homes from foreclosure. He has been instrumental in shaping Oregon foreclosure practice, most notably with successful appeals in US Bank vs. Vettrus, 285 Or App 629 (2017) and US Bank vs. McCoy, 290...

With experience planning and administering Oregon estates of all sizes, I am a firm believer that quality representation can be both comprehensive and affordable. Consideration for each client's unique financial, family, and health interests is the key to determining the best way to protect those interests. I work closely with each of my clients to ensure their needs come first, whether preparing a will or assisting after the death of a loved one. I am committed to providing my clients with experienced representation that is personalized and affordable for everyone. Services Provided: - Probate - Wills - Trusts - Tax & Estate...

Jeff focuses his practice on estate planning, administration, and litigation. His practice grows from his experience in academic and pharmaceutical research, where he worked closely with oncology patients undergoing experimental treatments. He enjoys tackling complex issues, while keeping his clients’ real-world needs at the forefront of every decision. Jeff listens carefully to his clients to help them find the solution that’s right for them. His experience with scientific research taught him to be resilient and creative, and he enjoys applying this approach to advocate for his clients today.

Wendy’s practice includes dissolution of marriage proceedings, legal separations, modifications of child custody, child support and spousal support, and contempt and enforcement proceedings. Wendy’s practice also includes probate administration, estate planning, and protective proceedings.

Third generation Oregonian; Lewis & Clark College BA and U of O JD; Practicing since 1981: Debt issues, Estates and Probate; Municipal Judge for over 15 years

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.

Born and raised in Clackamas County, attended Law School in San Francisco, came back to Oregon in 2012. Father of two boys. My practice is primarily civil litigation with an emphasis on real estate. I also handle personal injury actions, estate planning and probate, and landlord-tenant law.

Sam began his legal career auditing court guardianships, conservatorships and probate estates in Multnomah County Circuit Court. He joined the firm in 1987 to focus on those issues, long-term care cost planning (including Medicaid) and to advise on trust and estate administration. Currently he also has many clients for estate planning and inheritance/estate tax advice. Sam is one of the original members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Sam has always devoted a lot of time to public policy issues. Sam has served on committees that drafted the guardianship and conservatorship statutes, drafted the probate accounting rules, prepared the...

Paul Loney has practiced law for over 27 years. In 2009, Mr. Loney developed the legal blueprint for Oregon’s first private cannabis club, “Highway 420,” and the first National high-profile cannabis café, “Oregon NORML’s Cannabis Café.” Mr. Loney’s practice focuses on a variety of legal issues associated with cannabis and hemp, specifically in the areas of business law and regulatory compliance.

Paul Loney has served as Oregon NORML’s legal counsel for over 13 years and has helped draft numerous cannabis-related legislative initiatives involving Oregon’s medical marijuana and recreational marijuana issues. He has assisted clients in drafting language for proposed additions...

Masters in Taxation, New York University School of Law

Mark Kramer, Attorney, specializes in family law and civil litigation including personal injury, civil rights, and employment cases. He has more than 35 years of trial experience and extensive experience in family law issues ranging from adoption and contested custody to grandparent and psychological parent rights. Mark has served as a pro-tem judge for the Multnomah County Circuit Court. As co-counsel for the Oregon State Judiciary Committee and in private practice, Mark drafted family law legislation that is now Oregon law. Mark is the author of several articles about family law and is a frequent speaker on the subjects of...

Darin practices in the areas of estate planning, elder law, Medicaid, special needs planning, probate, estate tax planning, and trust administration. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar Estate Planning and Administration and Elder Law sections, the Multnomah Bar Association, and the Elder Law Section Executive Committee.

Darin Dooley enjoys helping people plan for their future, including the prospect of declining health. Darin understands how emotionally difficult the process can be and he wants his clients to feel good about their planning and confident that their wishes will be carried out effectively. Before becoming an attorney, Darin...

Samuel Hayden's practice focuses on the areas of estate planning, personal bankruptcy and criminal law. Prior to co-founding Hayden Bonucci, LLC, Sam accepted a clerkship with the Honorable Marilyn Litzenberger, in Multnomah County Circuit Court. During his time at the courthouse, Sam worked on matters ranging from small criminal proceedings to complex civil cases. Sam received his law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School. Prior to graduating, he received honors as a Best Oral Advocate and for his Pro Bono work. Sam also worked at the schools legal clinic helping low income clients deal with a variety of legal issues...

Mr. Kane grew up in Oregon and obtained his bachelor's degree in Economics from Portland State University in 1991. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College in 1994 and became a member of the Oregon State Bar in 1995. He is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts in the State of Oregon. Mr. Kane has always focused on helping "the little guy" and has represented hundreds of individuals and small businesses in many areas of the law in both state and federal courts, including...

Tim has combined decades of clinical social work experience and legal expertise to develop an insightful, innovative and people-friendly approach to assisting his clients. He is the founding President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and was recognized in 1992 as a Fellow of the Academy. Tim is a past President of the Oregon Gerontological Association, past Chair and founding member of the Elder Law Section of the Oregon State Bar and past President of the Oregon Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. He is past Chair, Amicus Brief Committee-National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (2003-2006) and also a member...

Garvin comes to the firm having worked as an attorney for the Legal Aid Services of Oregon. In addition to his wealth of litigation experience, he has expertise in the areas of guardianships, conservatorships and Medicaid planning. He has extensive experience representing victims of elder abuse, advocating for the rights of seniors who reside in care facilities and assisting seniors with consumer problems. Garvin has frequently spoken about elder law topics, giving presentations to audiences in nursing homes, to community organizations and through broadcasts on local television and radio programs. He is a past member of the Executive Committee of the...