Contact Information
Phone: (503) 227-4600
Fax: (503) 248-6800
Direct Line: (503) 546-9608
Joined Firm
1960
Admitted to Practice
Oregon State Bar: 1960
Education
BBA University of Oregon, 1954
LLB University of Oregon, 1960
Law Review 1959-60
Prior Experience
Private practice in Portland since 1960
Of Counsel, Bennett, Hartman, Morris & Kaplan, llp
Practice limited to Family Law
Professional/Volunteer Service
Board of Directors and Past President, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association President - 1972-73
Board of Directors and Past President, Multnomah Bar Association President - 1980; Mediation Commission - 1983; Judicial Selection Committee - 1993-96
Oregon State Bar Family Law Committee - 1966-68, Secretary 1967, 1969; Disciplinary Rules and Procedures Committee - 1971-73, 1978-80; Board of Governors - 1980-83, BOG Treasurer - 1983; CLE author and speaker
Board of Directors, Professional Liability Fund - 1983-87Chair - 1987Board of Directors, Oregon Academy of Family Law Practitioners (OAFLP)President 1993-94; Recipient of OAFLP Professionalism Award, 2000Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - 1985Secretary/Treasurer of Oregon Chapter - 1996-97
Served on Family & Juvenile Law Committee and the Disciplinary Rules & Procedures Committee of Oregon State Bar
Frequent speaker on Family Law topics at Oregon State Bar, Multnomah Bar Association, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Family Law Section seminars, and Oregon Law Institute
Best Lawyers in America (only 8 in Oregon)
Publications
Have authored two chapters for Oregon State Bar CLE Handbook on Family Law
ROBERT A. BENNETT was born and raised in Heppner, Oregon. He was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1960 after obtaining his undergraduate degree in 1954 and his law degree in 1960 from the University of Oregon. Mr. Bennett’s practice is limited to family law. He is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Oregon Academy of Family Law Practitioners. He is one of eight lawyers in Oregon listed in The Best Lawyers in America for family law.
Areas of Practice
Family Law; Arbitration; Reference Judge
Significant Cases
Tribal Litigation
We represented a number of Native Americans who
broke away from the Yakima Indian Nation and set up a village at Cook’s Landing on
the Columbia. The various Indian Tribes declined to join the litigation until we survived
Motion to Dismiss by the State of Oregon. When Judge Belloni ruled the treaty of 18007rsquo;s
protected our client’s right to fish at their usual and customary fishing grounds,
contrary to the State’s argument that they had the right to regulate fishing anywhere.
Union Litigations
Some 45 local unions on the West Coast and Alaska
broke away from two international unions on the grounds of corruption and failure to
represent the West Coast Union. The internationals sued each of the locals and all the
building corporations where the locals owned their buildings. They sought a forfeiture
of all the local assets. We defended approximately 60 different cases in Oregon, Washington
