Theresa M. Kohlhoff - Experience

Education

High School:
1965: Graduate of Holy Child Academy, Portland, OR.

College:
1976: Graduate of Portland State University, Portland, OR, BA with high honors.
I also completed coursework at the University of Alaska, Ketchikan and Anchorage.

Law School:
1980: Graduate of Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR, JD.

Employment

I was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1980, and the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in 1981. I have also been specially admitted in Washington.

Beginning in 1980, I was a sole practitioner with offices first in Philomath, OR; in 1986 in Wilsonville, OR; and in in Lake Oswego, OR. Then in June, 2006, I became a partner in Kohlhoff & Welch in Portland, OR.

From 1984 to 1986, I was also a partner at The Legal Clinic in Philomath and Corvallis, OR.

In addition, I have done jury trials and arbitrations, and have argued in the appellate courts in Oregon and Washington.

I have been an arbitrator, a mediator and done volunteer work for the Oregon State Bar, St. Andrews Legal Clinic, Roosevelt High School and now free legal clinics and seminars at our office.

Nature of Practice

The nature of my practice is general with a concentration in personal injury, real estate, construction law (contract issues and lien foreclosures), probate and conservatorships, and domestic relations. In the past I have handled over 318 appeals. 60% of my practice is litigation.

Oregon Reported Cases:

Kibble v Baldwin, 322 Or 572, 909 P2d 874 (1996); State ex rel State Office for Services to Children & Families v Chapman (In re Chapman), 169 Or App 168, 8 P3d 243 (2000); State ex rel State Office for Services to Children & Families v Mendez (In re Mendez), 162 Or App 601, 986 P2d 670 (1999); State ex rel State Office for Services to Children & Families v Ulbricht (In re Ulbricht), 159 Or App 117; 974 P2d 799 (1999); State ex rel State Office for Services to Children & Families v Armijo (In re Armijo), 151 Or App 666, 950 P2d 357 (1997); State ex rel Juv Dept v Cowens (In re MMC), 143 Or App 68, 922 P2d 1258 (1996).

Cases Reflecting Range and Capacity:

I recently represented a contractor who foreclosed on a fiber optic conduit in the public right away. The case arose out of a construction lien; the owner of the conduit went into bankruptcy and later one of the other potential owners went into bankruptcy.

In a case against the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, I was the lead counsel. The case began in 1990 as an appeal of a safety citation and went through an administrative trial, a petition to the Board, another appeal to Superior Court and finally to the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington, Division II in 1996.

I have done the negotiation and review of innumerable real estate transactions.

I have done many termination of parental rights cases, both at the trial level and through appeal.

I represented an incapacitated woman before the Department of Health & Human Services, Social Security Administration. This Medicare case began with an administrative trial, unfavorable decision by the administrative judge, then an appeal to the Departmental Appeals Board where it was reversed and remanded. A second administrative trial was held and a decision favorable to the claimant was rendered.

I obtained visitation rights for a non-biological parent, who had become a psychological parent to his girlfriend’s daughter.

I have handled conservatorships acting as the attorney for the conservator or as the trustee for a trust. Some of these conservatorships grew out of settlements for personal injury or other tort claims for both minors and other incapacitated persons.

I have done many probates, acting as the personal representative or the attorney for the personal representative with a full range of legal and extra-legal duties, including conducting the estate sale, selling the residence and supervising other practical aspects of liquidation.

I have done countless marital dissolution and modification cases with almost every conceivable issue. (Always something new though.)

Although I am normally a plaintiff's attorney, I have been on the defense side of cases, too. For example, I was coverage counsel for a client who was being sued for activities that took place at what the plaintiff called a "company party." This case certainly was a perspective stretcher.

Personal

I am married, have four grown daughters, two grown stepsons, and five granddaughters.

Hobbies and Other Interests

My husband Michael is a former vice president for the United States Tennis Association. This gave me the privilege of traveling widely and meeting people throughout the world at major tennis events. He is still a passionate tennis player!

I enjoy training for and participating in sports events such as bike tours and marathons. I am a knitter, gardener and active grandmother.

I own and manage real estate, am a Netflix addict, and enjoy the Multnomah County Library Pageturner bookclubs. Sigh. Literature! My first and true love.

References are available at your request.