Commercial Law and Contracts

Oden-Orr Law: Practice Areas | General & Commercial Business, Real Estate, Administrative & Government Law | Portland, Oregon Mr. Oden-Orr has substantial experience in the area of commercial law and contracts. This experience includes reviewing and drafting a broad range of commercial contracts on behalf of private sector clients and public sector clients, namely the PDC and TriMet. Among the major transactions, Mr. Oden-Orr was lead counsel responding to an unsolicited proposal and negotiating a contract to provide an expansive array of passenger amenities on TriMet property system-wide. He has also reviewed, negotiated and drafted numerous other agency commercial agreements, including software licenses and related maintenance and support agreements. Additionally, while with TriMet he played an integral role in maximizing the agency’s flexibility in managing and maintaining public art on light rail projects in light of obligations imposed by the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA).

Real Estate and Commercial Leases

Mr. Oden-Orr has substantial experience in the area of real estate transactions and commercial leases. While an associate attorney with the Lane Powell firm he negotiated, drafted and counseled a broad range of clients on real estates sales, purchases and commercial leases. Since that time he has spent years as primary counsel negotiating and drafting commercial leases, representing both landlords and tenants, including TriMet and PDC.

At PDC Mr. Oden-Orr reviewed, negotiated and drafted real estate purchase agreements, options and disposition and development agreements, as well as commercial leases. During the construction of the Interstate Light Rail project he negotiated a number of real estate acquisitions from both private and public parties, including easements, permits of entry, and dispositions leaving TriMet with reversionary interests in real property. Most prominently among the many transactions was the acquisition of real property from Metro for the site of the Expo Center light rail station and the long-term lease of the Park & Ride lot, which combined exceeded $1 million. These, like many other acquisitions for the project, were subject to federal regulations promulgated by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Public and Government Law

Mr. Oden-Orr’s experience in the area of public and municipal law comes from years as corporate counsel with TriMet and PDC. Specifically, he has provided extensive advice and counsel to these public bodies in the areas of public contracting (ORS 279) (including drafting agency LCRB Rules), public meetings and records (ORS 192), and prevailing wage, both federal and state. Each of these areas and others were a routine part of his duties on the $350 million Interstate MAX Light Rail project and other multi-million dollar facilities projects.

During almost five (5) years as corporate counsel with PDC and TriMet, Mr. Oden-Orr negotiated and drafted numerous intergovernmental agreements involving, among other things, shared employees, real property transfers, joint funding arrangements, as well as design services, construction and maintenance agreements related to both the Interstate Light Rail and I-205 Light Rail Projects.

Civil Litigation

Mr. Oden-Orr is an alumnus of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) and has substantial experience in civil litigation garnered from years of practice in the area. His litigation experience began in the litigation department of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky with the tort and insurance defense group and continued with the commercial litigation group over his three years with the firm, and again while an attorney with Tarlow Jordan & Schrader. While with TriMet he spent close to two years working with the litigation group managing a caseload of between 15-20 cases at a time. As first chair, he arbitrated and litigated several tort, labor and employment matters, including arbitrations arising under the agency’s collective bargaining agreement. Among the issues addressed in labor arbitrations was employee compliance with the agency’s federally-mandated drug and alcohol policy.