Portland, ORE – June 17, 2014. Ball Janik LLP announces that Stephen T. Janik is stepping down as Chairman of the firm after ten years. The partnership has elected David W. Criswell as Managing Partner, and Heather J. Oden as Executive Director, effective immediately. Steve Janik, one of the firm’s founding partners, stated, “I am pleased to announce that Ball Janik has elected new leadership, a symbolic milestone reflecting the growth and strength of the firm, and the diversity of the firm’s practices. Together, under the leadership of David Criswell and Heather Oden, the firm is well positioned for future success.” Janik will maintain his real estate and land use practice, and continue to devote time to the Portland community, serving as a board member for the OHSU Foundation, the Knight Cancer Institute, and the Portland Art Museum.
David W. Criswell, Chair of the firm’s Financial Institutions, Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights Practice, is assuming the position of Managing Partner and will manage the day-to-day affairs of the firm. Criswell has been practicing at Ball Janik since 1992. He was listed as one of “Oregon’s Top Rated Lawyers” by Legal Leaders, published in 2013 by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel magazine, affiliated with Martindale-Hubbell®, American Registry. Criswell was also named by his peers as an Oregon Super Lawyer from 2011-2013 in Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights. He has earned the AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, American Registry.
Heather J. Oden has been promoted to the position of Executive Director. Oden joined the firm as Human Resources Manager nearly two years ago, after having served as the Executive Director for the law firm Roberts Kaplan LLP, which eventually merged with Lane Powell PC. Oden brings over fifteen years’ experience in law firm management, human resources and administration. She also volunteered in the U.S. Peace Corps, serving in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Stephen T. Janik, a longtime pillar in the Pacific Northwest real estate and land use community, will continue to practice and serve his clients. Janik has handled several landmark real estate projects, including representing the City of Portland in the development and negotiation of the Rose Garden Arena, PGE Park and Jeld-Wen Field. He also represented the State of Washington in the development of the Seattle Seahawks Stadium. In its most recent ratings, Chambers USA commentators widely agree that Janik is “the best real estate lawyer in town,” with one going so far as to call him “a meteoric superstar” of the real estate market. Janik was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in Oregon in several categories: Real Estate Law (2010), Real Estate Litigation (2012), Land Use and Zoning Law (2012), and Land Use & Zoning Litigation (2013) in Portland, Oregon, by The Best Lawyers in America. Janik is a member of the prestigious American College of Real Estate Lawyers.