THURSDAY
November 17, 2011
www.djcOregon.com
Reprinted from the Daily Journal of Commerce.
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Banner year for Lane Powell attorney
includes pro bono award
It's been a big year for Parna Mehrbani.
An attorney in Lane Powell's Portland
office, Mehrbani recently was recognized as a DJC Up & Coming Lawyer,
an honoree at the Convocation on
Equality for her commitment to promoting diversity within the legal profession,
and an Oregon State Bar Pro Bono
Award winner.
Between practicing intellectual property
law and managing Lane Powell's trademark registration and enforcement practice, Mehrbani racked up more than
280 hours of pro bono service last year.
Sam Tenney/DJC
starting her practice seven years ago.
Her other pro bono clients include nonThe majority of those hours were dedicated profit organizations like the Rock 'n' Roll
to trying a civil case involving a trust disCamp for Girls and Basic Rights Oregon.
pute for an elderly client with some memory issues. Mehrbani's client, who was easi- While trying pro bono cases can be challengly confused and had a difficult time maining in terms of resources available, Mehrbani
taining her finances, claimed that her
considers it outreach – the reason she went
trustees breached their fiduciary duty and
to law school in the first place.
engaged in elder abuse by failing to look
out for her financially. "She's doing just
"I see it as an opportunity to help people,
fine, but she has had difficulties for many
so why wouldn't I?" she says. "I have a
years in terms of balancing her checkbook key to the courthouse and that is someand things like that," Mehrbani says.
thing that is of real value to other people.
I just couldn't imagine not doing it."
Mehrbani began providing pro bono legal
services as a student at Lewis & Clark
Parna can be reached at: 503-778-2170
Law School, and continued doing so after
or mehrbanip@lanepowell.com