Catherine B. Brinkman

503-796-2096 Direct
cbrinkman@schwabe.com

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Professional Experience
Catherine Brinkman joined Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in 2005, and focuses her practice in the areas of construction and commercial litigation. Ms. Brinkman's representative experience includes:

• Public Contracting Issues - Represents contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in all aspects of public contracting including development of proposal and claim packages, prosecution and defense of bid protests and other procurement disputes, resolution of claims and disputes, handling of prevailing wage issues, and submission and prosecution of bond claims.

• Private Contracting Issues - Represents owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in all aspects of private construction contracting including construction defect cases, review and negotiation of contracts, handling of claims and disputes, handling of Construction Contractors Board complaints and insurance and surety claims, coverage disputes and the filing, foreclosure and defense of lien claims.

• Construction Defect Issues - Represents design professionals, developers and general contractors in the resolution of construction defect related disputes.

• Real Estate and Environmental Remediation - Represents owners with varying property issues including boundary disputes, earnest money disputes, negligent and fraudulent misrepresentation, foreclosures of trust deeds, remediation agreements and Oregon's orphan site / voluntary cleanup programs.

• Transactional Work - Drafts, reviews and negotiates land sale contracts, environmental remediation agreements, construction and remodel agreements (including AIA forms), industry specific agreements, and right of entry and access agreements.

Additional issues Ms. Brinkman has worked on include insurance coverage disputes and bad faith claims, tort claims, architectural copyright, professional licensing and liability, bankruptcy, Uniform Commercial Code disputes, unlawful trade practices, landlord tenant issues, and enforcement of judgments.

As a staff attorney for the Oregon Office of the Legislative Counsel, Ms. Brinkman drafted legislation, legal opinions and testimony for the 2001 Oregon Legislature relating to transportation, state finance and natural resource issues.

In law school, Ms. Brinkman was a research fellow, a member of Phi Delta Phi and an associate editor for the Animal Law Journal.

Professional & Community Activities
Multnomah Bar Association
• President, Young Lawyers Section (2006-2007)
• Member, Multnomah Bar Association Board of Directors (2006-2007)
• Co-Chair, Generation Gap Task Force (2005-2006)
• Treasurer, Young Lawyers Section (2004-2005)
• Member, Multnomah Bar Association Budget and Finance Committee (2004-2005)
• Member, Young Lawyers Section Service to Public Committee (2001-2003)

Multnomah Bar Foundation
• Secretary, Board of Directors (2007)
• Member, Board of Directors (2006-2009)

Community Activities
• Secretary, DoveLewis Ambassador Board (2007-2009)
• Commissioner, City of Milwaukie Land Use Planning Commission (2005-2007)
• Speaker, Multnomah Bar Association Professionalism Panel (2004, 2007)
• Mentor, Lewis & Clark Law School First Year Partnership Program (2001 – 2004)
• Volunteer, Classroom Law Project Mock Trial Competition, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity  

Ms. Brinkman is also a member of Oregon Women Lawyers and regularly participates with construction industry trade groups including Associated Builders and Contractors and Associated General Contractors.

Admitted to Practice
Oregon State Courts
United States District Court, District of Oregon

Publications
Co-Author, Bid Disputes, Construction Law (Oregon State Bar CLE 2004)

Education
Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College, Juris Doctor degree, Environmental and Natural Resources Certificate (2000)
Randolph-Macon College, Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, magna cum laude, with honors, Phi Beta Kappa (1996)