About Acker & Associates · Portland
Acker + Associates P.C. is a small Portland, Oregon law firm founded in 1997 by managing attorney Randal B. Acker, focused primarily on business law, commercial litigation, employment law, real estate/property, contracts and leases, and estate planning and administration. The practice operates out of the historic 1894 Queen Anne "Figo House" at 525 SW Jackson St., at the south end of downtown Portland near Portland State University, a building Acker famously saved from TriMet's eminent-domain effort in 2006-2008. Senior associate Aaron S. Ferreira joined the firm in 2001, and together they offer what the firm describes as 'in-house' style, personalized counsel to small businesses and individuals, with much of their work coming from existing clients and referrals.
Acker + Associates P.C. (also styled Acker & Associates P.C.) is a boutique Portland, Oregon law firm founded on January 2, 1997, when Randal B. Acker registered the firm as a Domestic Professional Corporation with the Oregon Secretary of State (Registry #55167788). Randal, a Portland native and Wilson High School graduate, had earned a B.A., cum laude, in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics from Claremont McKenna College in 1988 and a J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1991, then briefly practiced at the large regional firm Bogle & Gates before launching his own practice in 1992 with a borrowed card table. Over more than three decades the firm has grown into a respected two-attorney shop serving small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals across Oregon in both state and federal courts — including the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Senior Associate Attorney Aaron S. Ferreira, a California native who earned his B.A. in Philosophy with extensive computer science coursework from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1994 and his J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in 2000, joined the firm in 2001 after practicing on California's Central Coast, and now leads much of the firm's entity-formation, commercial-lease, real-estate, construction-dispute, intellectual-property, and estate-planning work. The firm is headquartered in the Figo House, a 19th-century Queen Anne residence at 525 SW Jackson St. — the last house standing on its block after TriMet demolished the surrounding 19th-century buildings for the MAX Green Line transit project. Acker waged a year-long public campaign, gathering neighborhood and Italian-American community support and securing a favorable 2008 Oregonian editorial titled 'Leave the House Alone,' before TriMet abandoned its plan to acquire the property in February 2008; that episode is detailed in a 2009 Oregon State Bar Bulletin 'Profiles in the Law' feature on the attorney. The firm has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with a Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 rating (2015 and 2017), by Super Lawyers (2009, 2023, 2024), and by the Oregon State Bar's Bar Bulletin in 2009. Clients describe the firm as responsive, strategic, and personal — typical of a boutique that markets itself as 'akin to an in-house counsel' for small and growing Oregon businesses.
- In business
- Founded 1997 (incorporated January 2, 1997); Randal Acker started his own practice in 1992
- Owner
- Randal B. Acker — Firm Founder and Managing Attorney
- Serves
- Portland, Oregon and surrounding Oregon communities; state and federal courts across Oregon (state courts, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)
- Rating
- Avvo: 4.6/5.0 (14 client reviews, 12 five-star and 1 four-star); Yelp: 1 review; Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent 5.0/5 (2015 and 2017); Client testimonials on Avvo, LocalityBiz and Yelp consistently rate the firm positively for business, employment, and litigation work.
Overview of the Firm
Acker + Associates P.C. is a Portland, Oregon business and litigation law firm providing general legal services with an emphasis on business formation, contracts and leases, real estate, employment law, property, and disputes. According to the firm, 'Many of our business clients have started in home basements and garages and have become industry leaders,' and 'Most of our business comes from existing clients and their referrals.' The firm describes its service model as akin to 'in-house' counsel — visiting client offices, answering calls, and being available for any crisis or need.
- Founded January 2, 1997 as a Domestic Professional Corporation in Oregon (Registry #55167788)
- Two-attorney boutique practice headquartered at 525 SW Jackson St.
- Practice areas: Business Law, Litigation/Trials, Employment Law, Property, Contracts/Leases, Estate Planning & Administration
The Figo House Office
The firm's office is in the Figo House, a historic 1894 Queen Anne residence at the south end of downtown Portland near Portland State University. The building's name (pronounced 'FEE-go') comes from Randal Acker's dog. Easy highway access is available via the 4th and 6th Avenue exits from I-405, and the TriMet MAX Yellow and Green Lines turnaround is directly across the street. The firm notably waged a successful year-long public campaign in 2006–2008 against TriMet's attempt to use eminent domain to demolish the building for the MAX Green Line project — a fight documented in a 2009 Oregon State Bar Bulletin 'Profiles in the Law' feature and a January 7, 2008 Oregonian editorial titled 'Leave the House Alone.' TriMet ultimately dropped its plan to acquire or remove the Figo House.
- 525 SW Jackson St., Portland, OR 97201
- 1894 Queen Anne, last house still standing on the block
- Adjacent to Portland State University
- Across the street from the MAX Yellow/Green Line turnaround
Practice Areas
The firm's practice is built around four core service lines: Business Law, Litigation/Trials, Employment Law, and Property / Contracts & Leases, with a complementary Estate Planning & Administration offering. Randal Acker oversees all firm matters and focuses primarily on business representation and litigation; Aaron Ferreira focuses on forming business entities, drafting and negotiating commercial leases and real-estate purchase agreements, employment contracts, and other business agreements, along with construction law disputes, civil litigation, estate planning and probate, intellectual property, and appellate actions.
Business Law
The firm assists entrepreneurs and start-ups with business formation issues such as entity selection and drafting company documents, and is often retained by existing businesses to revise corporate documents to enable growth and ensure limited liability protection for the owners. The Acker team provides personalized attention akin to 'in-house' counsel, working with clients through every stage of their relationships with customers, employees, associates, and competitors.
- Entity selection and formation
- Drafting and revising corporate documents
- Ongoing 'in-house' counsel support
Litigation / Trials
Randal Acker has significant trial experience in both state and federal courts. According to the firm, its experience not only helps prepare winning arguments but signals to opponents that the firm is willing to take cases to trial. The firm handles disputes ranging from disagreements between neighbors to multi-million-dollar matters such as a shopping-mall dispute, with some cases resolved through a few phone calls and others requiring multi-week jury trials.
- State and federal trial practice
- Multi-week jury trial experience
- Civil litigation including construction and property disputes
Employment Law
Acker + Associates represents both employers and employees. For employers, the firm drafts employment agreements, non-compete agreements, employee manuals, and creates employment policy, helping clients comply with applicable law and minimize disputes. The firm also defends against claims of unlawful termination, wage nonpayment, and harassment, while representing employees in similar matters. The firm maintains a long-standing relationship with the National Automotive Trades Association (NATA) for labor law counsel.
- Employment agreements and employee manuals
- Non-compete agreements
- Defense of termination, wage, and harassment claims
- Representation of employees in disputes
Property, Contracts & Leases
The firm assists clients with buying or selling property and protecting property rights, including handling easement issues, adverse possession claims, and most property-related matters. It also negotiates and drafts contracts and leases and assists with rental and landlord-tenant matters.
- Real estate purchase and sale
- Easements and adverse possession
- Commercial lease drafting and negotiation
- Landlord-tenant disputes
Estate Planning & Administration
Through estate planning, the firm helps clients control the division of their assets and provide for the continuing care of loved ones, offering guidance and assistance in the preparation of wills, trusts, advance health-care directives, and other planning tools. After a death, services range from helping the estate representative navigate probate to assisting in filing claims against an estate.
- Wills and trusts
- Advance health-care directives
- Probate and estate administration
- Claims against estates
Attorneys and Staff
The firm is led by Randal B. Acker (Founder and Managing Attorney), with Aaron S. Ferreira as Senior Associate Attorney. Both attorneys are admitted to practice in all Oregon State Courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Both are members of the Oregon State Bar (in business litigation, labor & employment, business, and real estate & land use sections) and the Multnomah Bar Association.
Randal B. Acker — Founder and Managing Attorney
Randal attended Portland's Wilson High School before heading to California for college and then New York for law school. He earned a B.A., cum laude, in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics from Claremont McKenna College in 1988, and a J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1991. He was lured back to Portland in 1991 to work at the large regional firm Bogle & Gates and then started his own practice in Portland (incorporated as Acker + Associates P.C. on January 2, 1997). He has practiced since 1991 and offers significant trial experience in a variety of industries. Randal has served as Oregon Attorney-Coach for the National High School Mock Trial, with the Missouri Bar.
- B.A., cum laude, PPE — Claremont McKenna College (1988)
- J.D. — Cornell Law School (1991)
- Member, Oregon State Bar Business Litigation and Labor & Employment Law Sections
- Member, Multnomah Bar Association
- Subject of Oregon State Bar 'Profiles in the Law' (Aug/Sep 2009)
Aaron S. Ferreira — Senior Associate Attorney
Aaron is a native of California who entered the legal industry in 1994 working for a law firm on California's Central Coast. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy with extensive coursework in Computer Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1994, and then came to the Northwest for law school, earning a J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in 2000. He joined Acker + Associates P.C. in 2001. His practice focuses on forming business entities and assisting with drafting and negotiating commercial leases, real-estate purchase agreements, employment contracts, and other business agreements; he also handles construction law disputes, civil litigation, estate planning and probate, intellectual property, and appellate actions. Aaron served on the editorial board of The Journal of Small and Emerging Business Law while at Lewis & Clark.
- B.A., Philosophy — Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1994)
- J.D. — Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College (2000)
- Member, Oregon State Bar Business Law and Real Estate & Land Use Sections
- Member, Multnomah Bar Association
- Law Review: The Journal of Small and Emerging Business Law
Recognition and Honors
Randal Acker's work has earned repeated recognition across multiple independent rating services, including a 'Profiled in Bar Bulletin' honor from the Oregon State Bar in 2009, and selections to Super Lawyers in 2009, 2023, and 2024, as well as Martindale-Hubbell's Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 rating in 2015 and 2017. The firm itself has been described by clients as the '#1 referral for people seeking business advice or legal representation in a civil matter' by another Portland-area law firm.
- Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent 5.0/5 (2015, 2017)
- Super Lawyers — 2009, 2023, 2024
- Oregon State Bar Bulletin 'Profiles in the Law' (August/September 2009)
- Avvo 4.6/5.0 (14 reviews)
Contact and Location
The firm is located at the Figo House, 525 SW Jackson St., Portland, OR 97201. Telephone: 503.228.2495. Fax: 503.228.8442. The office sits near the 4th and 6th Avenue exits from I-405, with the MAX Yellow/Green Line turnaround across the street. The firm's official contact page lists [email protected] as the general inbox, which is also published on its LinkedIn company page. The firm does not publish official office hours on its website; third-party directory data indicates the office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Address: 525 SW Jackson St., Portland, OR 97201
- Phone: 503.228.2495
- Fax: 503.228.8442
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.ackerlaw.com/
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/acker-&-associates-p-c-