Allan M. Garten
There are many litigators but few trial lawyers. Allan M. Garten is both. He has tried cases in every forum. In private practice he was the lead attorney in more than seventy-five administrative trials related to natural resources law and energy matters. And as Assistant United States Attorney, Allan tried more than 12 cases to federal juries. Cumulatively, Allan has tried to conclusion no less than 20 multi-day civil and criminal jury trials in state and federal court.
Allan leans forward and makes no bones about his aggressive posture. Yet he is always keenly sensitive to his clients’ needs and will use his “winner take all” attitude to obtain the best possible out-of-court resolution.
Allan’s 40 years of litigation and trial expertise arises out of his extensive legal practice in both the private and public sector. In his first 20 years, Allan developed a significant energy, natural resources, and environmental litigation expertise. It began with his tenure in the Solicitor’s Office of the Federal Power Commission where he represented the United States in federal district and appellate courts nationwide in matters involving electric and natural gas regulation. Allan then joined the Washington, D.C., firm of Akin Gump where he became the firm’s first RCRA expert.
Allan’s expertise in energy and natural resources litigation expanded following his move to Portland, Oregon, where he was partner at both Garvey Schubert Baer and Tonkon Torp. He has represented both individual and large industrial consumer consortiums in proceedings against state public utility commissions and federal regulatory agencies. He was lead counsel in significant energy-related antitrust lawsuits, one on behalf of a large industrial company and the other on behalf of a public utility. Allan has also represented entities nationwide in Superfund site litigation.
Allan’s commercial litigation experience extends to matters involving breach of contract, corporate takeover disputes and construction defect litigation. He has handled countless temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction hearings in his time.
After 20 years in private practice, Allan took the unusual step of moving to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, where for the next two decades he served as a federal prosecutor. He rose to become Chief of the White Collar Crime Unit and later Senior Counsel. Allan investigated and prosecuted high profile complex criminal matters involving bank fraud, securities fraud, health care fraud, tax offenses as well as domestic and international money laundering. He was lead counsel in the successful prosecutions of two of the largest investment fraud cases in Oregon involving losses exceeding $100 million. He also prosecuted the largest tax fraud scheme in the state where losses exceeded $650 million.
Kent S. Robinson
Kent S. Robinson entered private practice in 2015 following a 35-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice, including 25 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, where he served as Chief of the Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Acting U.S. Attorney.
Licensed to practice law in Oregon and in Washington, D.C., Kent’s practice specializes in investigating and litigating complex business disputes, with an emphasis on assisting businesses and their principals in responding to state and federal regulatory matters. Since entering private practice, Kent has represented individuals and entities facing SEC enforcement actions, federal grand jury investigations, and regulatory actions. Subject matters have included allegations of corporate securities and accounting fraud, health care fraud by professionals and testing laboratories, on-line lending, and individual and corporate tax evasion.
Kent’s litigation experience includes 30 federal jury trials (in seven different judicial districts) and briefing and arguing dozens of cases in four different U.S. Courts of Appeal. He participated in and supervised the investigation and prosecution of hundreds of cases spanning the full range of federal crimes, including: securities and investment fraud; accounting fraud; Ponzi schemes; tax shelters; RICO; Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; espionage; international and domestic terrorism; export control; computer crimes and intellectual property; government contracting and defense procurement fraud; customs fraud; environmental crimes; health care fraud; insurance fraud; bank fraud and embezzlement; money laundering and structuring violations; public corruption.
Many of these cases involved working closely with federal and state regulatory and investigative agencies on parallel civil matters, including Qui Tam cases, to address the compliance and affirmative recovery aspects of cases. Resolution of these cases often involved implementing and monitoring corporate compliance programs.
Kent serves his private practice clients with the same passion and commitment that marked his government career. He brings to each case a unique perspective, informed by decades of experience inside government. He has seen up-close what gets businesses and individuals in trouble, knows how to avoid the pitfalls, and knows how to limit the damage when something goes wrong. And he has the litigation tools to take on any foe in the courtroom.
Carrie Menikoff
Carrie Menikoff has substantial experience in complex criminal and civil litigation involving numerous issues, including allegations of securities fraud, conspiracy, trade secret misappropriation, and breaches of fiduciary duty. Carrie has worked closely with in-house counsel for major banking institutions and publicly traded companies. She also has experience representing professionals before licensing boards. She has managed complicated criminal and civil investigations and fact discovery in proceedings in state and federal courts. Her disciplined and rigorous grasp of complex matters consistently lead to desirable outcomes.
Before partnering with Allan and Kent to form GRM Law Group, Carrie worked with Janet Hoffman & Associates, where she developed a criminal defense practice. She has successfully represented clients in administrative proceedings involving the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners and the Department of Human Services. She has led negotiations with both federal and state prosecutors that have resulted in resolving numerous matters before indictment or trial, including cases where clients have faced adverse immigration consequences. Carrie always demonstrates a sincere compassion for her clients, whom she represents with resolve and tenacity.
Before moving to Portland, Carrie practiced at Ulmer Berne LLP, in Cleveland, Ohio for a decade where she gained significant business litigation experience in a variety of areas including land use litigation and executive compensation disputes.
Ms. Menikoff received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1996. She was admitted to the Order of the Barristers for excellence in appellate advocacy and service to the Moot Court Board.