|
 Biography-
Mark E. Griffin graduated from St. Louis University
in 1971 and from Northwestern School of Law, Lewis &
Clark College, in 1976. Mr. Griffin was an Assistant
Public Defender in Guam from 1976 to1978. He was the
Deputy Federal Defender in the District of Oregon from
1978 to 1981. In 1982 Mr. Griffin returned to Guam and
became the Director of Guam Legal Services Corporation.
Prior to forming Griffin & McCandlish in 1988, Mr.
Griffin was an Associate at the law offices of Henry
A. Carey and Jerome L. Labarre in Portland, Oregon.
Since 1988, Mr. Griffin has successfully prosecuted
civil cases for plaintiffs in employment discrimination,
wage claims, franchise fraud, and other complex civil
litigation.
Mr. Griffin is a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers
Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. He has published
articles on federal criminal procedure, state civil
procedure, and privacy rights and is a frequent lecturer
at Continuing Legal Education seminars.
Nature of Practice-
Mr. Griffin focuses his practice on cases in which
plaintiffs have been victims of consumer, franchise,
or corporate fraud, discrimination, and unlawful employment
practices.
Sampling of Cases-
I. Franchise Fraud
Gleaves v. Mac Tools
This franchise fraud case was prosecuted in 1990 and
resulted in a verdict for plaintiff. Plaintiff was a
distributor for MacTools. He claimed that MacTools had
committed franchise and common law fraud resulting in
significant business damages. The jury returned compensatory
and punitive damages against MacTools.
Singh v. Invictus
This arbitration case in 2004 resulted in rescission
of franchise agreements between the seven plaintiffs
and Invictus, Inc., which is a subfranchisor of Jani-King,
a national janitorial franchise. The arbitrator held
that Invictus had breached its duties to the plaintiffs
by underbidding cleaning contracts. Invictus was ordered
to repay franchise fees, royalties, and related fees.
II. Oppression of Minority
Shareholders
Mc Nicholas v. Maring, Capital
Resource Finance Corp, et al.
Plaintiff in this 1993 case was a minority shareholder
in a closely held corporation. He successfully sued
the officers and majority shareholders for breach of
fiduciary duty. His claims resulted in a substantial
verdict for compensatory and punitive damages.
III. Sex Discrimination
Hobbs v. Care Ambulance
Plaintiff in this case was a paramedic who sued her
employer for sexual discrimination. She was fired after
she had testified in the deposition in the case of another
paramedic who also had alleged sexual discrimination.
The jury returned an award for lost wages and punitive
damages.
Miller v. Garrabrant
Griffin & McCandlish represented a judicial assistant
who alleged sexual harassment by a state trial court
judge. After selection of the jury, the case settled.
The judge later resigned during an investigation by
the Oregon Judicial Fitness Commission
IV. Insurance Coverage
Sanders v. Farmers Insurance
Company
Mark Griffin was the trial counsel for plaintiff in
this insurance coverage case in 2000. As a result of
the denial of coverage by Farmers after a house fire,
plaintiff’s house became contaminated with toxic
mold (stochybotrys chartarun or black mold). Farmers
denied coverage under the mold exclusion to plaintiff’s
homeowner’s policy. Griffin & McCandlish established
the law of efficient proximate cause as it related to
mold. Because the fire was the efficient proximate cause
of the mold and fire loss was a covered event under
the policy, the mold was a covered event under the policy.
V. Class Actions
Saint v. Mutual of Enumclaw
This was a claim for overtime wages under Washington’s
Minimum Wage Act. Plaintiffs are insurance adjusters
for a regional insurance company. The case settled in
2004. Class members received overtime pay.
Mitchell v. PEMCO Mutual Insurance
Company
This is a claim for overtime wages under Washington’s
Minimum Wage Act. Plaintiffs are claims adjusters for
a regional insurance company.
VI. Fraud and Consumer
Protection
Vasquez v. Beneficial Finance
of Oregon
Mark Griffin was lead trial counsel. He was co-counsel
with Phil Goldsmith and Hope DelCarlo of Portland, Oregon.
This predatory lending case resulted in a verdict for
plaintiffs in February 2004, including a substantial
punitive damage verdict. Plaintiffs were a married couple
who did not speak English. The jury found that Beneficial
had defrauded them in making an unnecessary high-interest
refinance loan.
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| Mark E. Griffin, |
| Attorney at Law |
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Disclaimer: The results
described in these cases do not necessarily
indicate that similar results can be obtained for other
or new clients.
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