February 22, 2013 - Oregon State Bar

OREGON STATE BAR
Board of Governors Agenda
Meeting Date: February 22, 2013
From:
Sylvia E. Stevens, Executive Director
Re:
CSF Claims Recommended for Payment
Action Recommended
Consider the CSF Committee’s recommendation that awards be made in the following
matters: 1 No. 2012-24 HOWLETT (Steinbeck) $750.00
No. 2012-80 KAUFMAN (Lite) $1,207.24
No. 2012-15 GRUETTER (Gordon) $50,000.00
No. 2012-31 GRUETTER (Roccasalva) $61,682.33 (2 claims)
No. 2012-35 GRUETTER (Martinez) $7,061.23
No. 2012-61 McBRIDE (Carosella) $3,350.00
No. 2012-63 McBRIDE (Lua) $2,500.00
No. 2012-76 McBRIDE (Hernandez Rodriguez) $4,100.00
No. 2012-78 McBRIDE (Cortez Hernandez) $3,300.00
No. 2012-McBRIDE (Valdivia) $3,000.00
No. 2012-88 McBRIDE (Palacios Rodriguez) $1,500.00
No. 2012-91 McBRIDE (Garibay, Rudolfo) $1,500.00
No. 2012-92 McBRIDE (Lucas-Lepe) $4,900.00
No. 2012-93 McBRIDE (Ramirez, A.) $5,000.00
No. 2012-94 McBRIDE (Keiper) $4,000.00
No. 2012-96 McBRIDE (Maldonado, Jose E.) $3,100.00
No. 2012-110 McBRIDE (Melchor) $4,500.00
No. 2012-24 HOWLETT (Steinbeck) - $750
TOTAL $161,450.80
Background
Claimant hired Portland lawyer Bruce Howlett on January 4, 2011 for defense of DUII
charges and agreed to a non-refundable earned-on-receipt fee of $1900, half of which was due
immediately and the remaining half only if Claimant elected to go to trial. The fee agreement
1 The CSF Committee recommends waiver of the requirement for a judgment in all of these cases. With McBride
and Gruetter, the conduct giving rise to the claims was either part of or very similar to the conduct that resulted in
their Form B resignations. In the other cases, the circumstances are such that it would be futile or a hardship for
the claimants to pursue civil judgments. Moreover, Howlett is deceased, Kaufman’s whereabouts are unknown,
McBride has filed bankruptcy and Gruetter is likely to be in prison soon.