Christopher is an experienced attorney who dedicates his practice on representing both individuals and businesses, as debtors or creditors, when addressing financial difficulties.  He is skilled in navigating legal solutions such as work-out agreements or bankruptcy, ranging from straightforward Chapter 7 liquidation cases to complex Chapter 11 reorganizations.  He has provided representation for individuals, family enterprises, agricultural entities (including farmers, ranchers, and fishers), as well as larger businesses.

After growing up on U.S. Air Force bases across the country and attending college in South Carolina, Christopher moved to Portland in 2004.

Working with both consumer and business clients, I focus on delivering cost-effective outcomes. I take time to understand each client’s objectives and develop problem-solving strategies tailored to achieve them.

  • Represented individual debtor in strategically-filed successive bankruptcy cases to discharge majority of nearly $1 million in income tax obligations and force repayment plan, without interest or penalties, of remaining balance.
  • Represented plaintiffs against defendant who filed a bad faith bankruptcy to stay a pending trial, obtaining a dismissal and two-year bar to re-filing against individual debtor.
  • Represented individual Chapter 11 debtor in subchapter V bankruptcy case to address significant debts, including hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid tax obligations.
  • Won motions for monetary sanctions, dismissal with prejudice, and a five-year bar to re-filing against individual Chapter 13 debtor for bad faith filing and failure to comply with discovery obligations.
  • Represented individual small business seller against purchaser in subsequent bankruptcy filing, obtaining an approximate 250% increase in monthly payments on unpaid obligation, provisions requiring payment in full a year earlier, and a market interest rate on unpaid balance.
  • Represented individual against to-be-former spouse in bankruptcy to allow dissolution proceedings to proceed without further interference from bankruptcy proceedings, including sale of real estate and distribution of proceeds to client.

  • “Conduit: A Solution in Need of a Problem” with Theodore Piteo, Debtor-Creditor Section Newsletter (2018)
  • “Substitutes for Return & Non-Dischargeability: The Ninth Circuit Adds Substitute for Return Assessments to Tax Evasion and Fraudulent Returns as Reasons for Non-dischargeable Tax Obligations,” Debtor-Creditor Section Newsletter (Fall 2016); republished with changes Tax Section Newsletter (2018)
  • “Selected Rule & Form Changes,” Debtor-Creditor Section Newsletter (Winter 2015)
  • “Family Law Seminar Series: Bankruptcy & Tax Issues” with Ann K. Chapman, Multnomah Bar Association CLE Presentation (June 2014)
  • “Ambushes: Malpractice Traps, Difficult Clients” with Ann K. Chapman, Oregon Law Institute CLE Presentation: Armor, Ammunition, & Ambushes: Bankruptcy and Other Battles in a Struggling Economy,” (April 2014)
  • “Reconciling the Irreconcilable: What Debtors-Creditors Attorneys Need to Know About Family Law” with Ann K. Chapman, Oregon State Bar CLE Presentation A: Taxes, Exes, and Axes to Grind: 2013 Debtor-Creditor Section CLE and Annual Meeting (September 2013)
  • “Who Beats Who? Competing Garnishments,” Oregon Debtor-Creditor Newsletter (Winter 2013)
  • “Bankruptcy’s Impact on Collecting on Your Claim: Just When You Thought You Had ‘Em!” Oregon Law Institute CLE Presentation “Judgments and Collecting Judgments in Oregon: Avoiding the Pitfalls,” (November 2012)
  • “Chapter 13: Confirmation to Completion” with Ann K. Chapman. Oregon State Bar CLE Presentation “Bankruptcy Basics: The ABCs of Filing Chapter 13”, (June 2012)
  • “Chapter 13: Drafting a Chapter 13 Plan, From Theory to Practice, Dealing with Typical Scenarios” with Ann K. Chapman. Oregon State Bar CLE Presentation “Bankruptcy Basics: The ABCs of Filing Chapter 13”, (June 2012)
  • “Chapter 13: Case Objectives & Applicable Law” with Ann K. Chapman. Oregon State Bar CLE Presentation “Bankruptcy Basics: The ABCs of Filing Chapter 13” (June 2012)

 

Chris is a frequent author. Please reach out for a comprehensive list of publications.

  • “Merchant Cash Advances and Bankruptcy Reorganization” with Thomas Neeleman, Northwest Bankruptcy Institute (May 2025)
  • “Bankruptcy Basics for Business Lawyers,” OSB Business Law Annual meeting and CLE (November 2024)
  • “Maximizing Creditor Rights,” NACM Credit in the West Conference (October 2024)
  • “Tax Reporting, Tax Return Filing Requirements, and other Tax Issues Arising in Bankruptcy,” OSB Debtor-Creditor Section Annual Meeting and CLE (September 2024)
  • “Bankruptcy Basics for the Non-Bankruptcy Practitioner,” MBA CLE Bankruptcy 101 (September 2024)
  • “Local Bankruptcy Rules and Local Bankruptcy Forms: 2021 Edition,” 2021 Saturday (March 2021)
  • “Who CARES: Small Business Strategies; State and Federal Responses to the Pandemic” with Conde Cox and Erich M. Paetsch, 2020 Debtor-Creditor Section CLE and Annual Meeting (October 2020)
  • “It Didn’t Work Out – Now What?” with Holly C. Hayman and Douglas R. Ricks, 2019 Debtor-Creditor Section CLE and Annual Meeting (September 2019)
  • “Bankruptcy Law for Employment Attorneys,” Oregon Law Center (June 2019)
  • “2018 Local Rules Update,” Lane County Bar Association (December 2018)
  • “Implementation of the New Chapter 13 Form Plan” with Wayne Godare and Karen Oakes, Debtor-Creditor Section CLE and Annual Meeting (October 2017)
  • Local Bankruptcy Rules Committee Presentation re: National Chapter 13 Plan and Conduit Administration, Saturday Session (February 2017)
  • “Making ‘Them’ Pay: Enforcing Judgments and Collecting on Fee Agreements,” 2015 Family Law Section Annual Meeting (October 2015)
  • “Paralegals and Legal Staff: Ensuring Professional Competence, Bankruptcy Basics; What is a Chapter 7/Chapter 13?” Oregon Law Institute CLE Paralegals and Legal Staff: Ensuring Professional Competence (June 2015)

 

Chris is a frequent speaker. Please reach out for a comprehensive list of presentations.

Professional Organizations:

  • Local Bankruptcy Rules and Forms Committee (2016-present)
    • Chair
  • Oregon State Bar (2007-present)
  • Washington State Bar (2014-present)
  • Oregon Debtor-Creditor Section (2007-present)
  • Oregon Taxation Section (2007-present)
  • Washington Debtor-Creditor Section (2014-present)
  • Multnomah Bar Association (2007-present)
  •  Oregon State Bar New Lawyer Mentoring Program (2014-present)
    • Volunteer Mentor
  • Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2012-present)
    • Volunteer Judge
  • Lewis & Clark College Law School International Law Moot Court Team (2012-present)
    • Volunteer Coach
  • Multnomah County Search and Rescue Unit (2013-present)

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Outside of the office, Christopher enjoys flying, sailing, and woodworking. He holds a Private Pilot (ASEL), Instrument Rating.