Industry focus
For me, the best part of practicing law is helping people get organized to do something, public or private.
How I represent clients at Schwabe
For over 40 years, I have been practicing business and organization law, helping design and develop small businesses and public and private institutions and associations. I concentrate my practice in business and property law with special emphasis on private, nonprofit and quasi-public entities. Most of my clients are individual farms or forest owners, or entities representing the interests of farms or forest owners. I have helped organize and represent several special districts and some notable businesses involved in processing and marketing agricultural products nationally and internationally. I began representing private nonprofit associations and public charities when I started working with the Oregon Farm Bureau in 1987.
My work with the Oregon Farm Bureau grew until I left private practice to become the first general counsel of the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation in 1995. I helped develop the structure and function of the Oregon Farm Bureau over the years, including development of a nationally recognized legal advocacy program. I created the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation and the Oregon Agricultural Legal Foundation.
I began my career in the title insurance industry and helped form new title insurance and escrow operations in Portland for a large national title insurance company. My early experience included a litigation practice involving business and property law, including title insurance defense.
I have experience with:
- Business Law
- Agricultural Law
- Organizing and maintaining small business organizations, including succession planning
- Organizing and maintaining public and quasi-public Special Districts with an agricultural purpose, such as Irrigation and Drainage Districts and ORS Chapter 554 Corporations
- Organizing and maintaining charitable and other non-profit organizations
Testimonial
“We were a 28 year client of Joseph H. Hobson and chose to stay when he joined Schwabe. Joe has always provided excellent service his joining Schwabe has given us access to other attorneys who have also given us excellent service.”
-WUSATA
Experience
- Helped form the City of Keizer, Oregon.
- Helped create and shared the office of first Keizer City Attorney.
- Served as first General Counsel, Oregon Farm Bureau Federation.
- Helped create and develop the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation.
- Helped create and develop the Oregon Agricultural Legal Foundation and served as its initial Director.
- Director, National Agricultural Law Center.
Education
- Willamette University, College of Law, Juris Doctor Degree, 1975
- Northwest Nazarene College, Bachelor of Arts degree, 1972
Admissions
- Oregon State Courts
- Washington State Courts
Memberships
- Helped organize and served as chair of the Agricultural Law Section, Oregon State Bar Association
Awards
- Outstanding service to Oregon’s agricultural industry, Oregon Department of Agriculture, 1999
- President’s Award, Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, 2003
Additional Events
Agricultural Law Section Meeting
Oregon State Bar, May 17, 2019
Oregon State Bar Agricultural Law Section Annual “Round-Up” CLE Program
May 17, 2019
Farm Succession and Estate Planning
Farm Preservation Program, January 22, 2019
Getting Organized: Agriculture Law
Oregon State University, November 27, 2018
Getting Organized – Farm and Ranch Business and Succession Planning
Polk County Fairgrounds, August 9 & 11, 2018
Forest, Farm & Ranch Estate and Succession Planning
May 29, 2018
Berry Growers Conference, March 14, 2018
Getting Organized – Farm and Ranch Business and Succession Planning
Nut Growers Society, March 14, 2018
Getting Organized – Farm and Ranch Business and Succession Planning
Tillamook Dairy Co-op , January 16, 2018
Considering Contracts: What You Need to Know Before Signing the Dotted Line
October 31, 2017
Services
Community Activities
- Oregon Agricultural Trust, Board of Directors
Outside Interests
Hiking in the McDonald State Forest, OSU’s research forest
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