Passing of Judge Michael Robert Hogan 1946-2025
By Adair Law The day after Thanksgiving, we learned that a long-burning light in the District of Oregon has dimmed. Judge Michael Hogan passed away on November 28 after a long illness. Michael Hogan was born in Oregon City in 1946. In his 2014 oral history, he told of his father, Robert, coming to Oregon in 1937 to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps. “He had grown up orphaned in Georgia and got on the train with four dollars, half a ham, and his first pair of shoes on.” He was posted to a camp on the south fork of the Coquille River. He eventually met and married Maxine…
Judge Teresa Pearson Joins the Bankruptcy Bench
On October 4, 2021, Teresa Pearson was sworn in as the newest bankruptcy judge for the District of Oregon. Judge Pearson succeeds Judge Trish M. Brown. Judge Brown swore in her successor in a short ceremony in Courtroom 2 at the Bankruptcy Court in Portland. The event was broadcast on Zoom for chambers and court employees working remotely. Judge Trish M. Brown retired on October 2 and is now on recall. Judge Pearson is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and received a Juris Doctor, with honors, from Duke University School of Law. She became a partner at Miller, Nash, Graham & Dunn LLP (formerly…
Open for Business, Waiting for the Flood
By Stephen Raher While the COVID-19 pandemic took most people by surprise, Oregon’s bankruptcy court was actually well-prepared for the disruptions. “We have been working on our emergency preparedness plans for years,” says Clerk of Court Charlene Hiss. “While these contingency plans are usually implemented for weather-related disruptions, they have worked just as well during the current health-related lockdown.” According to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Trish Brown, “The court focused on three goals when we revised our operations and procedures: complying with public health guidelines, remaining open for all people and businesses who need our services, and protecting our staff and customers.” Complying with stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines has…