The firm began in late 1982, when Dave Markowitz and Barrie Herbold agreed to leave their jobs at an established Portland law firm to create a new firm built on trust, respect, and diversity. It would be a business litigation boutique – one of the first in Oregon, in fact -- offering the very highest level of service to a handful of clients. By January 1983, Markowitz & Herbold was up and running.
Accompanying these talented litigators in their venture was Barrie’s sister and financial expert, Cynda Herbold, who still manages the business affairs of the office today. Jim Herbold, Barrie’s and Cynda’s father and recently retired administrator of a large Portland firm, organized the necessities of the young firm.
From the beginning, Dave and Barrie focused their practice on the most demanding business disputes. In order to efficiently handle the most challenging cases, they recruited a team of gifted and experienced professionals. Growth was carefully managed, however, to ensure the firm remained flexible enough to provide its clients with highly specialized services, while capable of garnering the resources necessary to successfully compete with the litigation departments of the region’s largest law firms.
In 1988, the firm changed its name from Markowitz & Herbold to Markowitz, Herbold, Stafford & Glade in recognition of its newer shareholders, Peter Glade and Robert Stafford. In 1989, Bill Mehlhaf joined the firm, and shortly thereafter, Bert Stafford left the practice of law to begin a teaching career. The firm name then changed one last time to Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf, as it remains today. Over the ensuing years, the firm has added shareholders with diverse litigation skills, including writing and research specialists, appellate experts, and trial lawyers.
Along the way, traditions evolved that helped create and reflect the culture of the firm, including its annual Open House party, which is counted by many in the Portland legal community as the social event of the year. Much of that culture is attributable to Barrie Herbold, who, in 2001, lost her battle with cancer. Her legacy lives on through the firm’s progressive approach to practicing law. This includes accommodating alternative work schedules for many of its employees, and offering a unique benefits plan and a comfortable office environment.
As a result, MHGM has been recommended in the book America’s Greatest Places to Work with a Law Degree and has been named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon Business magazine. In 2006, Oregon Women Lawyers gave MHGM its first-ever Workplace Leader Award, which recognizes legal employers who are taking innovative measures to maximize opportunities for women and minorities to succeed in the workplace and advance to positions of influence and leadership. The organization cited MHGM's outstanding efforts to promote a healthy work/life balance by facilitating and respecting flexible time commitments to the firm, by creating real opportunities for part-time lawyers, and by the firm's commitment to generous parental leave for all of its employees.
Today, MHGM is considered among the best litigation firms in the Pacific Northwest. Chambers USA ranks the firm first in Oregon for business litigation, and both Dave Markowitz and Peter Glade are members of the invitation-only American College of Trial Lawyers. The firm expanded its appellate capabilities in 2000 when Jeff Batchelor, a member of the equally prestigious American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, joined the firm. MHGM and its 15 lawyers are highly regarded for their expertise in handling all aspects of litigation on behalf of businesses and individuals in the region and around the country. In addition to its extensive trial work, the firm helps many of its clients resolve disputes outside the courtroom through mediation and arbitration.
MHGM also is a leader in the community. Along with generous donations made by individual employees, the firm annually makes substantial financial contributions to the Campaign for Equal Justice and the St. Andrew Legal Clinic, two organizations that provide legal services for low-income Oregonians. The firm’s lawyers sit on boards for organizations such as the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, Campaign for Equal Justice, Portland Youth Golf Association, St. Andrew Legal Clinic, and Pacific Artists Dance Foundation. In addition, they serve on dozens of professional boards and committees, including prominent positions with the American Inns of Court, Multnomah Bar Association, Oregon Law Institute, and U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society.
For more about the firm's history, read Peter Glade's account, "Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf: 25 Years of Good Arguments," which appeared in the spring 2008 issue of Oregon Benchmarks.