Our firm is dedicated exclusively to representing public entities in Oregon. Each of our attorneys is experienced in municipal law generally, in addition to having one or more specialty areas—such as land use, labor & employment, or public contracting—that is relevant to our local government clients. This approach allows us to provide our general counsel clients with the level of service typically reserved to an in-house legal department at a large government agency, and allows us to provide particularized expertise to our special counsel clients on sensitive or complex matters.
As the practice of municipal law becomes increasingly complex and opposing interests seek advantages through negotiation, litigation and legislation, the kind of specialized representation that BEH offers is key to the business and success of our local government clients.
Our Approach
Our History
BEH was founded in 1998 when Pamela Beery (center) and Paul Elsner (right) recognized the need for a law firm in Oregon that dedicated itself solely to the representation of local governments. Pam and Paul were joined by John H. "Jack" Hammond (left) in 2004, and while the leadership of the firm has changed over the years, BEH remains committed to delivering cost-effective and responsive legal services to local governments throughout Oregon.
Since our inception, we’ve represented over 230 local governments and public entities, from small water districts to Oregon’s largest cities and counties, and everything in between. Today, we serve as general counsel to approximately two dozen cities and over a dozen other public entities, and as special counsel to numerous others.
We are honored that each of the following clients have trusted us as their general counsel for over fifteen years:
Our Clients
Canby Utility Board
Clackamas Community College
City of Cornelius
City of Fairview
City of Forest Grove
City of Gladstone
City of Happy Valley
City of Hillsboro
Metropolitan Area Communication Commission
City of Molalla
City of North Plains
City of Sandy
Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency
City of Willamina
As our firm continues to grow, we are proud to welcome our newest full-service clients as well, including the City of Corvallis, the City of Philomath, the City of Seaside, Johnson Creek Water Service Company, Pleasant Home Water District, and the Port of Hood River.
In addition to our work as general counsel, we also provide specialized expertise on certain matters to many other clients. In recent years, we have served as special counsel for the City of Portland, the City of Gresham, Multnomah County, Washington County, Lane County, the League of Oregon Cities, and the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, among others.
Our Culture
We are a team of professionals deeply committed to public service and the betterment of our communities, and our firm has a long history of philanthropy. In addition to firm sponsorships and donations to various community groups and events, we match team members’ charitable giving and spend a day of service each year in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. (pictured at left).
BEH is also uncommonly committed to promoting work/life balance. We offer a pet-friendly office, flexible and hybrid work schedules, and a deemphasized focus on billable hours and client cultivation.
Join Us
BEH is growing! We are currently recruiting for the following positions:
If you’re interested in joining our team, please contact us.