Steven B. Ungar
Shareholder | Portland | 503.778.2064 | ungars@lanepowell.com
Areas of Practice
For more than 30 years, Steven Ungar has focused his practice on white collar criminal defense, governmental investigations, corporate governance, subpoena response, professional licensing, government affairs, state and federal regulatory compliance and crisis management. His experience includes serving as General Counsel for a public company; and currently, he serves as Chair of the Oregon State Lottery Commission, a gubernatorial appointment since 2005.
Steven has handled high-profile matters for major corporations, business executives, nonprofit organizations and Native American tribes. He is recognized for his skills in negotiations, alternative dispute resolution and problem-solving, and where these fail, litigation. Over the past decade he has been a go-to lawyer in the Northwest in each of these areas of practice, and is recognized as a first tier choice of businesses and individuals facing complex legal problems.
Investigations, Prosecutions and Compliance
Steven has extensive experience helping clients address matters of corporate compliance, governmental investigations and federal criminal prosecutions, arising from allegations of:
- Securities fraud, “Ponzi-scheme” claims, insider trading
- Tax evasion, tax liability, IRS and state-level tax fraud
- Broker-dealer issues, bank and bankruptcy fraud
- Health care fraud and abuse (Medicare, Medicaid and private payor)
- Embezzlement, theft, misappropriation of trade secrets or intellectual property
- Computer- and Internet-related offenses
- Environmental regulations and compliance (state and federal)
- Obstruction of justice and perjury
His familiarity with appearing before and negotiating with governmental agencies, investigators and prosecutors frequently translates into favorable rulings and dispositions for Lane Powell clients facing these types of complex and multi-faceted personal, legal and business problems.
Crisis Management
Steven has decades of experience representing and assisting individuals, corporations, Native American tribes and nonprofit organizations in preventing financial and public relations caused crises for individuals and entities. When a serious problem or crisis cannot be prevented, Steven has extensive experience assisting executives and boards in strategic decision-making, as well as the management, mitigation and containment of the problem. This experience encompasses formal legal representation, public and media relations, conducting independent internal investigations (e.g., for special committees formed by a board of directors) and coordinating with government investigators.
Representing Crime Victims
The rights of crime victims have been increasingly recognized at both the state and federal levels. In Oregon and Washington, the recognition of these rights in criminal and civil cases has given rise to a growing practice area. Steven’s experience as both a criminal defense lawyer and in representing governmental entities and organizations has provided an excellent foundation from which to advocate on behalf of victims of criminal acts. He has successfully secured in-depth information about the prosecution crimes committed against his clients, commitments to receive counseling and compensation, and in the recent case involving the kidnapping of Gert Boyle, Chairman of Columbia Sportswear Company, Steven won an expanded role in the plea negotiation process. He has assisted clients in asserting these rights by representing witnesses giving testimony (before grand juries and in civil cases) about the injuries they have suffered, facilitating cooperation with government prosecutors, coordinating with lawyers who file lawsuits on behalf of victims for compensation, and advising on options (including injunctions and before parole boards) to protect victims’ rights against perpetrators of crime.
Native American Legal Affairs
For years, Steven has served a number of Native American tribes as an effective Special Counsel on criminal, regulatory, tax, gaming, jurisdictional and economic development matters. Together with other lawyers at the Firm and hand-picked consultants, Steven approaches more serious problems in a manner ranging from “under the radar” strategic counsel to task-force type representation, providing legal assistance to Tribal boards and councils, focusing on:
- Tribal Governance
- Bureau of Indian Affairs matters
- Financial restructuring
- Gaming and related regulatory issues (e.g., with the NIGC or State gaming commissions)
- Personnel matters
- Crisis management
Environmental Investigations and Prosecutions
Steven’s legal experience in this area includes both EPA and state-level investigations, which lead to civil and criminal enforcement of the increasingly complex and voluminous environmental regulatory landscape. He has represented large corporations and smaller entities alike in negotiating settlements and, when necessary, litigating issues arising out of alleged violations concerning air, water and hazardous chemicals.
Health Care Fraud and Abuse
Steven has extensive experience representing health care providers who face a myriad of increasingly complex state and federal laws, rules and regulations. He helps clients navigate through these laws and investigations and other enforcement perils that face providers, given the heightened scrutiny of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) into allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, abuse and overpayments to providers generally.
Admitted to Practice
- Oregon
- Washington
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
Academics
- University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri (J.D., 1979)
- Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (B.A., 1975)
Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships
- Co-Chair, White Collar Criminal Defense, Regulatory Compliance and Special Investigations Practice Group
- Education
- Health Care
- Litigation
- Long Term Care and Seniors Housing Client Service Team
- Native American Affairs
Representative Matters and Clients
- Crisis management and public relations coordination for numerous corporate and individual clients in areas of long term care (nursing homes, assisted living facilities), nonprofit organizations, the high-tech sector and utilities.
- Special counsel to Native American tribes, focusing on governance, financial restructuring, personnel matters, negotiations with BIA and other federal agencies, crisis management.
- Counsel to shipping company alleged to have violated Clean Water Act.
- Counsel to First Engineer of another shipping company alleged to have violated numerous federal and state environmental laws.
- Conduct internal investigation for several health care provider clients, each under investigation by HHS-Office of Inspector General, arising from allegations of former employee/whistleblower.
- Special Counsel to Christian church whose belief in faith healing were under attack by local prosecutors alleging their illegality.
- Special Counsel to large regional utility on various internal personnel matters and environmental issues.
- Counsel to law firm specializing in taxation arising out of tax shelter opinions given on behalf of clients who became targets of a federal criminal investigation.
- Counsel to national account executive accused of IP theft, computer crime and related violations in federal investigation fueled by a former employer.
- Counsel to CEO of an Oregon Port Authority in EPA/DEQ civil and criminal task force investigation by multiple state and federal regulators and prosecutors.
- Special Counsel to regional law firm and member lawyers under criminal investigation and state bar investigation for alleged conspiracy and fraud in the procurement of government funds.
- Bank holding company’s Board of Directors, consulting with general counsel on as-needed basis, addressing fraud audits, employee fraud, ID fraud, Patriot Act and related structuring issues. Emphasis on coordinating with multi-agency task force investigations and government regulators (state and federal).
- Counsel to broker of Fortune 100 Company facing grand jury investigations into conspiracy, tax fraud and money laundering.
- Counsel to former Vice President of Technology at Enron Broadband, Inc., witness in ongoing Enron Task Force investigations and prosecutions.
- Counsel to former CEO/CFO of public company facing indictment by the DOJ alleging Sarbanes-Oxley violations, accounting fraud and securities fraud.
- Counsel to commercial lender under parallel investigations by state Attorney Generals and the FTC for fraud and deceptive trade practices by its alleged participation in a “Ponzi-scheme.”
- Counsel to pastor of “mega-church” facing civil, criminal tax and securities violations.
- Counsel to various individuals and entities under IRS criminal investigation for alleged conspiracy to commit tax fraud and money laundering for alleged off-shore banking and tax violations.
- Special counsel to executive under investigation for antitrust violations by the United States Department of Justice investigating international trade cartels.
- Counsel to securities broker with major mutual fund under investigation by SEC and New York Attorney General, alleging “market timing” and after-hours trade violations.
- Counsel to real estate developer and appraiser prosecuted for SBA, HUD and bankruptcy fraud.
- Counsel to Internet gaming company targeted in SEC and parallel criminal fraud investigation.
TV/Radio Interviews
Awards and Honors
- Peer Review Rated “AV” in Martindale-Hubbell
- Named as one of The Best Lawyers in America®, Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2005-2012
- Named as “Oregon Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers magazine, Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2006-2011
- American Civil Liberties Union (Montana), Special Commendation for 10 years’ service as President (1994)
Professional and Community Activities
- Chairman, Oregon Lottery Commission, first appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski, now serving under Governor John Kitzhaber (2005-Present)
- Member, Executive Committee of the Jewish Federation of Portland’s Community Relations Committee (1998-2004)
- Member and Chair, Governor’s Judicial Screening Committee, interviewing judicial candidates for vacancies and other appointments
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- American Bar Association, White Collar Crime Committee
- Jewish Council for Public Affairs (“JCPA”), New York City – National Board of Directors (2001-2008)
- Stanford Jazz Workshop, instruction and performance (drums) (1978-Present)
- Member, Multnomah Bar Association