LARKINS VACURA KAYSER - Key Persons
Amanda is a high-impact Senior Paralegal with expertise in early case assessment, legal technology, and case administration.
Amanda is a high-impact Senior Paralegal with expertise in early case assessment, legal technology, and case administration.
Experience
Amanda started her career as a legal secretary in 2004. Over the next thirteen years, Amanda worked for sole practitioners, assisting them in all aspects of their litigation practices. In 2017, Amanda joined Larkins Vacura Kayser as a Legal Assistant. She achieved her certification as a Core Registered Paralegal through the National Federation of Paralegal Associations in December 2018 and now serves the firm as a Senior Paralegal.
Amanda has taken a lead role at the firm in ensuring the security of client and firm data, and is adept at trial presentation technology such as iPads and Apple TVs in the courtroom. Amanda also has specialized knowledge in the creation and use of data visualization presentations.
Amanda is actively engaged in progressing her eDiscovery proficiency, delving into the intricacies of electronic data collection, processing, and review. Through hands-on experience and continuous learning, she excels in handling digital evidence and optimizing legal processes related to electronic discovery.
Christine is an experienced paralegal specializing in e-Discovery, known for quick learning, effective problem-solving and dependability.
Christine is an experienced paralegal specializing in e-Discovery, known for quick learning, effective problem-solving and dependability.
Education
Portland State University, Bachelor of Arts in Art Practices, 2014
Experience
Christine began her legal career in 2004 as a receptionist at a small law firm. Soon after, she transitioned to the role of legal assistant and paralegal. She has been a paralegal since then and has worked on cases involving securities fraud, complex business litigation, intellectual property litigation, antitrust, and accounting malpractice. She has worked on several cases on behalf of hundreds of investors victimized in some of the largest securities fraud cases in the Northwest.
She earned the NALA Certified Paralegal designation in May 2022, as well as the Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) in eDiscovery designation in July 2022.
She is knowledgeable in several eDiscovery platforms. She has earned the Search & Review and Review Management Certifications in DISCO eDiscovery, as well as the Review Management and Data Analysis certifications in Casepoint eDiscovery.
Christine joined Larkins Vacura Kayser in 2023, but she has worked with several of the firm's attorneys since 2014 when they were co-counsel on cases with her previous firm.
Chris brings a solution-oriented approach that is fueled by his passion for finding the fastest path and most efficient angle to solve legal problems.
Chris Kayser focuses his practice on complex commercial, antitrust, securities, and environmental litigation representing both individuals and corporations. He has been named as a U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyer in the categories of commercial litigation, securities litigation, antitrust and environmental litigation. Adept at understanding complicated legal issues, Chris brings strategic judgment to map a course for efficient and effective litigation. He began his career at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where he quickly rose within the ranks to take responsibility for high profile cases, several of which had eight and nine-figure outcomes at stake.
Following his years at the Department of Justice, Chris worked for the D.C. office of Baker Botts, LLP, representing clients across the country in white collar criminal matters and complex commercial litigation. In 2006, he returned to his hometown Portland, Oregon, where he has developed a high-stakes commercial litigation practice representing both individual and corporate clients. He has successfully represented large groups of investors seeking to recover their investments in fraudulent securities offerings from national accounting and law firms, defended a multi-national electronics company against allegations of violating antitrust laws, and represented a government agency in a billion dollar environmental allocation process.
David is a tenacious, focused litigator with a proven track record of successfully litigating complex environmental cases. As an Assistant Attorney General, he gained exceptional expertise in environmental law and built a reputation for well-honed research and writing. A savvy diplomat in and outside the courtroom, David is particularly skilled at negotiation and working collaboratively to maximize outcomes for his clients.
Emma Singer is a determined and innovative advocate. Emma's practice includes a wide range of practice areas, including commercial litigation and trust and estate litigation. Emma prioritizes open communication and negotiation.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. 2018
Wesleyan University, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 2015
Practice Areas
Appeals
A resourceful, confident, experienced litigator, Heather Cavanaugh has over a decade of big firm litigation experience as well as a background as in-house counsel at a financial institution. Heather specializes in commercial litigation, including contract disputes, real property disputes, corporate governance and product liability.
John Rake delivers creative and cost-effective solutions by providing clear advice backed by careful research. In resolving conflicts, he is committed to understanding his clients' background and objectives so that he can craft the narrative told to other parties, judges, and juries, and optimize outcomes available to his clients. John distills the essence of complicated facts, laws, transactions, and technology, and proactively works toward favorable resolutions. John also assists clients outside of the courtroom, by providing intellectual property and business counseling and advice.
Education
Lewis & Clark Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2010
University of Kansas, B.A., Honors Program graduate with Highest Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, 2004
Practice Areas
Antitrust Litigation
Kelsey is a steadfast, compassionate advocate. She has significant courtroom experience for an up-and-coming attorney, including a federal jury trial in her first six months of practice. By prioritizing clear, open communication, Kelsey helps her clients navigate the legal process with confidence in order to achieve the best result for their individual circumstances.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Summer Associate
Lynette is a thoughtful and compassionate Junior Paralegal who ensures that our writing communicates our clients' stories and our legal arguments with consistency, clarity, and confidence.
Lynette is a thoughtful and compassionate Junior Paralegal who ensures that our writing communicates our clients' stories and our legal arguments with consistency, clarity, and confidence.
Education
Lesley University, B.L.A., summa cum laude, 2014
Experience
Lynette joined the firm as a Legal Assistant in 2021. While she is relatively new to litigation, she draws on a wealth of experience, including writing and copyediting, working in professional theatre, studying the sociological impacts of technological change, and officiating roller derby. She has a passion for telling compelling stories (with impeccable grammar, of course) and a deep respect for modern technology and complex systems; these are invaluable when helping clients navigate the modern legal landscape.
Job Titles:
- Associate Mentor of the Year 2014
An experienced trial attorney, Tania Manners has represented plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation for nearly two decades. She is passionate about helping her clients navigate through the legal process to obtain a favorable resolution of their matter. She has a reputation for conducting skillful depositions and negotiations and will aggressively seek pre-trial resolution when appropriate, while relishing opportunities to achieve victory for the client in the courtroom.
Tania Manners has tried multiple cases to verdict in New York and Oregon courts. She started her legal career in 2004 as a prosecutor in the Sullivan County District Attorney's Office in Monticello, New York. After practicing as a litigation associate at a healthcare law boutique and then an international law firm, she went on to serve as Associate Counsel and Chief Settlement Negotiator for the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, the largest municipal hospital and healthcare system in the country. While in this role, she supervised outside defense counsel and successfully negotiated and settled numerous high-exposure cases.
Upon moving to Oregon in 2014, Tania worked in-house as a senior contract negotiator for a major insurance company. Tania re-entered private practice in 2016 as a senior associate at a long-established Portland law firm. There, she represented legal professionals and insureds in complex litigation. Prior to joining LVK as a partner in 2022, she practiced at a boutique Portland litigation firm handling complex personal injury, casualty and property damage, toxic tort, coverage, and administrative law matters.
Whether a case is resolved through litigation or negotiation, Tom takes a strategic, results-oriented approach. With hard work, creative thinking, and strategic lawyering, Tom provides excellent client service and a dogged determination to achieve a client's objectives.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Retired Partner
A founding partner of this firm, Bill has retired from the practice of law. Over the course of his 40 years in practice, Bill Larkins handled all kinds of business disputes for national, regional and local clients. He is a problem solver. He dissected a case from the outset and mapped out the most likely outcomes, so that his clients could make informed strategic and tactical decisions in litigation. Bill believes that action guided by deliberation is the formula for the best and most cost-effective result in a case.
A founding partner of this firm, Bill has retired from the practice of law. Over the course of his 40 years in practice, Bill Larkins handled all kinds of business disputes for national, regional and local clients. He is a problem solver. He dissected a case from the outset and mapped out the most likely outcomes, so that his clients could make informed strategic and tactical decisions in litigation. Bill believes that action guided by deliberation is the formula for the best and most cost-effective result in a case.
Education
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 1981
Stanford University, B.A., with distinction, 1977; Phi Beta Kappa
Experience
Partner, Larkins Vacura Kayser (1999-2021)
Associate General Counsel, U.S. Bancorp (1997-1999)
Corporate Counsel, U.S. Bancorp (1988-1996)