Administrative Law

My practice is in a medium-sized Oregon town but my firm handles cases all over the state of Oregon regarding various types of litigation, in both Federal and State courts. We also frequently associate with out-of-state law firms. We know all of the ins and outs of litigating in this state and our firm has been a fixture in Southern Oregon for over 50 years and is well known throughout the state. We also handle appeals in all courts. I also do various types of transactional work, including estates and estate planning. We have a large and professional staff available to support us and help the clients with their needs. I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the Country and be able to translate my hard work ethic into results for clients.

Missy K. Atwood is a principal in the Austin office at Germer, PLLC. She has over 25 years of experience in civil litigation, healthcare law and administrative law. She has tried more than 60 cases to verdict as first-chair trial counsel in State District Courts and Federal Courts. She represents clients in a wide variety of complex civil litigation, as both lead counsel and local counsel, including high exposure medical malpractice, products liability, pharmaceutical products liability, construction, anti-trust, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Hope Shovein is a skilled trademark attorney who works hard to ensure her clients receive the best guidance on intellectual property matters. Hope Shovein focuses her practice on the procurement and enforcement of trademark rights. Hope`s work encompasses trademark clearance searches and opinions, prosecuting trademark applications, managing domestic and international trademark portfolios, drafting and negotiating agreements, preparing and responding to cease and desist letters, and representing clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as litigation. Hope specializes in helping clients enforce their rights in any medium, including the unauthorized use of trademarks and copyright protected material in website content, online ads, spam, social media, online marketplaces and auction sites. She handles notice and takedown complaints under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and has successfully represented clients in arbitration proceedings under ICANN`s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and other alternative dispute resolution policies. Hope also has experience with administrative agencies such as the FDA and CPSC with respect to product review and clearance. Online enforcement is a key strength of Shovein, although she also excels in brand management - World Trademark Review 1000 Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Hope worked in the intellectual property department of a major automotive company, where she gained a valuable background in domestic and international trademark law. Hope`s in-house legal experience has given her valuable perspective into providing clients with cost-effective and targeted legal service. She uses this perspective to assist clients across a range of industries on intellectual property matters.

For over 25 years, Andrea has developed a comprehensive understanding of employment law by representing both employers and employees at various stages of her career, enabling her to navigate the legal landscape from multiple perspectives. Her broad experience defending employers—particularly in her current practice at Moss Byrnes PLLC and prior roles with management has given her deep insight into employer strategies, risk assessment, and decision-making processes in litigation, investigations, and compliance matters. This distinctive background makes her particularly well-suited to represent employees facing workplace legal issues, as she anticipates and counters employer defenses effectively while advocating vigorously for individual rights. Andrea handles all phases of litigation in state and federal courts, as well as proceedings before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, New York State Division of Human Rights, and other bodies. She has defended and prosecuted claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and equivalent state laws, the New York State Human Rights Law, and wage and hour statutes. Andrea advises clients on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, best practices for risk minimization, employee discipline, and sensitive terminations. She counsels on a wide range of issues, including employee classifications, overtime, and restrictive covenants. Her practice includes drafting and reviewing employment contracts, severance agreements, offer letters, non-compete and other restrictive covenants, employee handbooks, and personnel policies. Andrea frequently conducts independent workplace investigations into allegations of discrimination, harassment, and misconduct, and provides comprehensive training programs, including management-level and employee anti-harassment seminars. With extensive trial experience, including serving as lead counsel in dozens of federal and state trials and administrative hearings, Andrea incorporates alternative dispute resolution methods where aligned with client objectives to achieve efficient and favorable outcomes. Representative Matters include the following: · Resolved hundreds of employment disputes through arbitration and mediation, encompassing claims of discrimination based on age, race, religion, national origin, disability, and sexual orientation; sexual harassment; hostile work environment; wrongful termination; and retaliation. · Arbitrated and mediated high-stakes disputes concerning non-compete agreements and executive compensation packages. · Successfully resolved an employment dispute centered on a multi-million-dollar intellectual property issue. · Mediated and resolved claims of gender and religious discrimination on behalf of an employee at a nationally recognized marketing firm. · Successfully defended an employer against a multi-million-dollar wage and hour class action. · Secured six-figure settlement for employees who were improperly compensated for their work. · Negotiated numerous severance packages and separation agreements for executives and employees. · Produced workplace handbooks for employers across multiple jurisdictions. Andrea graduated from U-Mass Amherst summa cum laude and the University of Virginia Law School.

Mr. Taibi graduated from the prestigious liberal arts school, Davidson College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, in 1989. With a concentration in pre-law classes as part of his undergraduate studies, Mr. Taibi achieved the top 5% of those taking the LSAT, the entry examination for law school. While he attended college, Mr. Taibi was very active in college government, holding leadership positions such as Treasurer and President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta In 1992, Mr. Taibi earned his Juris Doctorate degree at California Western School of Law. While attending law school, Mr. Taibi was the law clerk for one of the top criminal defense and family law attorneys in San Diego County. During these three years, Mr. Taibi received an invaluable practical education in what it means to be an attorney and how to best represent clients in different areas of law Mr. Taibi was admitted to practice law in the State of California in 1992, and walked into the Courtroom the very next day after his acceptance into practice and began litigating. Mr. Taibi is authorized to practice in all Courts of California, including all State Courts, as well as all Federal District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts, and the Supreme Court of California and all Courts of Appeal. He is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of California and the Criminal Law Section of the State Bar, San Diego County Bar Association, and National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Mr. Taibi has successfully defended clients throughout California in criminal cases from misdemeanor and felony DUI's to felony murder cases, both state and federal, in his over 25 years of practice. He has also represented military personnel in criminal matters and is familiar with the nuances involved. Having grown up in New York City, he is very comfortable with the fast pace associated with criminal cases and the time constraints involved Mr. Taibi is a caring, compassionate, knowledgeable and aggressive advocate for his clients and has been recognized as a top attorney by such organizations as the American Society of Legal Advocates and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. He has also served as a mediator and arbitrator for civil disputes. His vast experience and knowledge of the law in many different areas has given him a unique perspective as to the complexity of cases and how to best resolve matters for his clients Mr. Taibi is very familiar with other countries and cultures and has represented many diverse individuals. He also hails from a family of immigrants and has lived and traveled abroad, extensively in Europe and Asia. He has also had business dealings overseas and has a background in international law, as well as immigration issues Mr. Taibi has vast experience in many areas of law, areas that crossover in many cases. Mr. Taibi has represented and/or counseled clients in thousands of matters. He has successfully handled felonies/misdemeanors, DUI's with and without injury, theft, violent crimes, drug crimes, both state and federal, as well as those involving military personnel; administrative proceedings; DMV hearings and countless licensure proceedings; immigration issues; business law and related white collar crimes, such as embezzlement, welfare and social security fraud and insurance fraud; probate cases, involving conservatorships, guardianships, and elder abuse, and has prepared, and given advice regarding, wills and trusts; domestic violence and family law matters; adoptions; family disputes; matters involving corporations and contracts; civil litigation, and injury accidents; and international law. It is necessary to be proficient in all of these areas to properly evaluate criminal cases and represent clients in the most effective and best possible way, to strategize properly and to analyze all options and/or consequences one may have, or have to face. Mr. Taibi has spent many years learning and practicing all of these areas of law and honing his skills Mr. Taibi is highly respected as litigator and counselor for over 25 years as a practicing attorney, by attorneys and judges alike, and has the knowledge and experience to properly handle virtually any matter

I have been representing employees and employers in work related issues for more than 20 years. I have litigated cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as before numerous administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the Florida Department of Administrative Hearings, the National Labor Relations Board and civil service boards in numerous cities, counties and law enforcement agencies in Florida. I am licensed to practice before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U. S. Supreme Court, as well as federal trial courts in Florida. I have handled a wide variety of employment law cases, including those involving discrimination based on age, race, disability, gender, national origin, sexual harassment, retaliation, medical leave disputes, minimum wage and overtime issues, and non-compete agreements. I have drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, and have litigated non-compete cases. I have counseled both employees and employers on all types of workplace disputes, including those involving discipline and termination. I served as the Legislative Chair for the Volusia chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, and have lobbied for work related legislation in Tallahassee. I have represented large corporations and small businesses, as well as individual employees. I have represented employees and employers for various government agencies, including local school districts, cities and counties, and universities. My goal is to provide the highest quality representation at a reasonable cost.

James “Jim” B. Goldberg received his Juris Doctorate in 1999 from the John Marshall Law School. He also received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University. Prior to attending Law School, James was a High School teacher in the Chicago Public School System. James is a Lecturer at the Illinois Emergency Nurse Association (IENA) and Adjunct Lecturer at Capital Area School of Nursing (Springfield).

Attorney Giordano started his career in the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in its New York Regional Office. There, he participated in civil and administrative actions against broker-dealers and registered representatives for violations of federal securities laws; and conducted discovery and administrative investigations. ‍ After his employment with the SEC in New York City, between the 1980’s and the early 1990’s, he worked as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey where he investigated and prosecuted federal criminal matters with a concentration on federal securities fraud violations; presented evidence and witnesses before the U.S. Grand Jury. ‍ Attorney Giordano entered private practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in early 1990’s and acted as principal in various law firms for over three decades. In May 2005, Attorney Giordano along with Attorney Reed opened their law firm, Reed & Giordano, P.A. ‍ Attorney Giordano deals with various areas of commercial and complex litigation, securities litigation, arbitration and many more. He has over thirty years of experience representing businesses and individuals in a wide variety of legal disputes and transactions. Attorney Giordano is experienced in all phases of civil and commercial litigation, including trial and appellate practice in state and federal courts. Attorney Giordano is experienced in representing both individuals and companies in complex commercial matters, including shareholder disputes, buyouts, fraud and claims involving breach of fiduciary duty.

Emily Davenport brings over 20 years of legal experience to Germer. Emily represents a wide variety of health care providers in medical malpractice, employment, administrative, and business litigation. She also provides health regulatory and risk management counseling services.

Matt McCracken has more than thirty years of trial, appellate and administrative law experience representing medical, legal, insurance and other professionals as well as product manufacturers, energy companies, telecommunications companies and medical institutions. Matt has defended numerous doctors, nurses and insurance professionals at their respective licensing boards. Matt is a well-known figure at the Texas Medical Board where he guides doctors through the professional disciplinary process and licensure issues. Notably, Matt briefed and argued the seminal case of American Transitional Care v. Palacios; 46 S.W.3d 873 (Tex. 2001) at the Texas Supreme Court. This important decision established minimum standards for preliminary expert reports in medical malpractice cases, and set the standard of appellate review in dismissals of medical malpractice cases under Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. Article 4590i §13.01, now Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Chapter 74. This case has been cited by appellate courts over 5,000 times and continues to instruct and inform judges and lawyers across the State of Texas.