Areas of Expertise

Profile

Craig Berne has an active litigation practice including numerous large and small-scale trials, appeals, and arbitrations (court-ordered and by private agreement) relating to business and commercial disputes. He is A/V rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Craig has handled a wide variety of employment matters, including discrimination cases, wage and hour disputes, wrongful discharge claims, and trade secrets/unfair competition cases. His employment work also involves advising clients on employment issues and drafting employment documents, including employment contracts, employee handbooks, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and independent contractor agreements. Craig also handles a wide variety of real estate matters, including foreclosures, disputes with homeowner associations, and cases involving commercial and residential landlord-tenant disputes. In addition, he has worked on numerous collection, construction, and insurance coverage cases. Craig has litigated a number of cases involving disputes over estates and family trusts, including claims of wrongdoing by trustees and executors. He has also handled a growing number of matters in the senior housing and assisted living industry.

Craig is married and has two adult children. He is involved in the activities of his synagogue and is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Craig has served as Chairperson of the Oregon Council of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and has volunteered on the boards of the Portland Jewish Community Relations Council and the Israel Advocacy Committee. Craig’s interests include hiking, traveling, reading, spending time with his family, and getting out of the office as much as possible.

Professional Memberships & Activities

  • Member of Litigation, Business Litigation, and Employment Sections of Oregon State Bar and Litigation Section of California State Bar
  • Member of Multnomah County Bar Association
  • Attended Two-week National Program of the National Institute of Trial AdvocacyCo-author, Chapter 4, Course Handbook, Practicing Law Institute 28th Annual Institute on Employment Law

Admissions

  • Oregon State Bar, 1987
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1987
  • State Bar of California, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2015
  • U.S. Tax Court, 2016

Education

  • Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, J.D., 1987
  • University of Washington, B.A., Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1984