Ivan M. Karmel, PC

Ivan M. Karmel is an attorney at law with more than 35 years of trial and civil litigation experience in Oregon and Washington state and federal courts. Based in Portland, Oregon, he focuses on complex and emerging areas of family law and civil litigation.

Litigation and Trial Experience

• Began his career as a certified law student with the Washington County Public Defender's Office, gaining substantial jury trial experience even before graduating law school.
• Worked early in his career with a leading civil litigator on complex tort cases involving aviation and maritime accidents and defective products.
• Has tried more than 100 jury trials and several hundred cases overall, including matters involving:
• Dissolution of marriage
• Modification of child support and parenting time
• Defamation
• Wrongful death
• Personal injury
• Construction defect
• Product liability
• Medical malpractice
• Toxic torts
• Has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for clients in personal injury, abuse, negligence, and wrongful conduct cases.
• Notable results include:
• The largest slander jury verdict in Oregon history for a nonpublic figure
• The largest slip-and-fall jury verdict in Multnomah County history
• A $2.0 million verdict in Multnomah County for the victim of financial elder abuse
• Multiple six-figure settlements in cases involving premises liability, medical negligence, defective products, and domestic violence.

Family Law Focus

• Handles complex family law matters, including cases involving complicated marital estates and intricate financial issues.
• Emphasizes building a strong foundation and open, authentic communication with each client to navigate the divorce process.
• Experienced with:
• Custody and parenting time disputes
• Spousal support
• Emergency custody and restraining orders
• Representation of LGBT clients and transgender parenting issues
• Works closely with a network of highly regarded experts such as custody evaluators, forensic accountants, business valuation experts, and parenting time coordinators.

Business and Regulatory Counsel

• Serves as "of counsel" to multiple Oregon and Washington business enterprises, including real estate developers, construction firms, environmental services companies, medical and dental practices, electrical contractors, nursing homes, restaurateurs, and hoteliers.
• Provides preventive counseling aimed at keeping businesses out of legal difficulties.
• Experienced with employment-related issues, including severance agreements and discrimination or harassment claims.
• Represents businesses and professionals before various administrative agencies and boards, including:
• Oregon Medical Board
• Oregon State Board of Nursing
• Oregon Department of Human Services
• Oregon Liquor Control Commission
• Oregon Lottery Commission
• Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI)

Education and Admissions

• Education
• Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon – J.D., 1980
• State University of New York at Binghamton – B.A., 1976
• Bar and Court Admissions
• Oregon State Bar (1980)
• Washington State Bar (2002)
• U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon (1980)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (2002)

Professional Memberships and Recognition

• Member of:
• American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association)
• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
• Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
• Oregon Academy of Family Law Practitioners
• Western Conference of Teamsters (panel attorney for 27 years)
• Recognized repeatedly by Super Lawyers (2009–2020) as a leading litigator in Oregon.
• Recipient of the North Star Award from TransActive Gender Center (2017) for defending the legal, civil, and human rights of children, youth, and their families.

Community Involvement

• Has served as:
• Chairman of the Board of Directors for Transition Projects
• President of the Sun Creek Little League
• Board member of TransActive, an advocacy group for transgender youth
• Has coached youth sports for many years through local leagues and recreation programs.

Location and Geographic Focus

• Practices primarily in Oregon, trying cases throughout the state with a focus on Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties.
• Licensed to practice in both Oregon and Washington state and federal courts.

Office Address

• 1023 SW Yamhill St., Portland, OR 97205

How to Get in Touch

• Call the office to discuss your legal matter or to request a consultation.
• You can also use the contact form on the firm's website (https://ivankarmel.com/contact/) to send a message; the office will respond as soon as possible.

Office hours are not listed on the website; consider calling ahead before visiting in person.

• Pre-marital and pre-cohabitation planning
• Prenuptial and cohabitation agreements to protect assets and provide for legacies or succession to non-joint children
• Divorce and dissolution of registered same-sex domestic partnerships
• Complex valuation issues involving closely held businesses and forensic accounting
• Spousal support issues
• Custody and parenting time disputes
• Abuse prevention and defense of abuse claims
• Emergency custody and restraining orders
• Drafting marital and property settlement agreements
• Drafting qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs)
• Mediation and collaborative divorce
• Collection actions for back support or delinquent property awards
• Representation of LGBT parents or children in family court
• Petitions and responses to dissolve domestic partnerships, including those implied by law
• Modification of divorce-related orders, including custody, parenting time, and support
• Contested adoptions involving termination of parental rights and step-parent adoptions

Personal Injury and Tort Litigation

• Motor vehicle accidents involving injury or death
• Premises liability claims against property owners for dangerous conditions
• Dram shop actions against liquor establishments for injuries caused by patrons
• Civil actions on behalf of victims of domestic abuse
• Defective product claims against manufacturers, designers, and distributors
• Claims involving professional medical, dental, and legal malpractice

Business Law

• Partner or member disputes in closely held entities
• Business formation
• Dissolution of closely held businesses
• Commercial collections
• Construction lien litigation
• Regulatory and administrative litigation for small business owners
• General counseling to small business owners, including preparation of operating agreements

Real Estate Law

• Drafting of real estate agreements
• Representation of buyers, sellers, or agents in disputed real estate transactions
• Boundary, easement, and adverse possession claims

Insurance Law

• Coverage opinions for businesses and individuals on whether losses are covered under specific policies
• Litigation against insurers for denial of claims under homeowners, fire, liability, health care, or auto policies

Criminal Law

• DUII (driving under the influence of intoxicants)
• License compliance issues
• Traffic crimes
• Representation in major and minor felonies

Estate Planning and Probate

• Guardianships and conservatorships
• Estate planning, including wills and trusts
• Contested probate litigation, including will challenges, removal of trustees, contested guardianship proceedings, and claims of fiduciary misappropriation or wrongdoing
• Administration of estates and trusts

Administrative Law

• Compliance and contested case representation before governmental administrative agencies
• Representation of liquor establishments, lottery licensees, adult foster homes, and other licensed businesses and professionals in disciplinary or sanction proceedings

Construction Defect Litigation

• Prosecution of claims for defective new or remodeled construction
• Preparation and preservation of claims for defective construction
• Representation before the Oregon Construction Contractors Board
• New home warranty claims
• Moisture intrusion and building envelope claims
• Claims against homeowners' associations for failure to maintain common elements

Appellate Law

• Family law and civil appeals
• Briefing and oral argument

Consumer Law

• Representation of consumers and vendors in disputes over goods and services
• Claims involving fraudulent or exploitative conduct by vendors
• Warranty claims
• Unfair trade practice litigation
• Disputes involving automobiles and automobile dealerships
• False or deceptive advertising
• Consumer protection claims

Employment Law

• Wage and hour claims
• Employment discrimination claims
• Employee rights matters
• Sexual harassment claims

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.