Three attorneys find more flexibility in their own firm

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2010-03-24T00:00:00

They met in court years ago as adversaries—two Jewish public defenders and a Muslim deputy district attorney. Yet they grew to respect and admire each other.

That admiration continued when they all left the criminal system to join civil firms.

Now, Edie Rogoway Van Ness, Doug Green and Sanam Dowlatdad have started a law firm specializing in criminal defense, personal injury and victims’ rights.

“It’s amazing how many attorneys you come across who think the way to be a good attorney is to be a jerk,” said Dowlatdad. “When I had cases against Edie and Doug, they were good trial attorneys, but not nasty. We all (three) treat others, even our adversaries, with respect. …When it’s time to be tough in the courtroom, you can be respectful and aggressive at the same time.”

Rogoway concurred: “I’ve accomplished much more in cases where I have a good relationship with opposing counsel. If they see me as reasonable, they are willing to talk.”

As a Portland native, Rogoway said that she grew up respecting the Jewish lawyers she knew who were philanthropic and involved in their community. It’s a tradition she hopes to emulate.

“Now we’re bare bones,” said Rogoway of the firm that began in February. “We’re not going to be able to save the world for at least a year.”

Rogoway said the genesis of the firm came from a conversation with Dowlatdad about the incompatibility of large law firms with parenting. As the mother of Georgia Van Ness, a 3½-year-old at Portland Jewish Academy, Rogoway said she often found the culture of a big firm challenging.

While Dowlatdad said she doesn’t have children “yet,” she also found the culture unrewarding and frustrating with long hours and little personal reward.

The father of two, Green said he wanted the flexibility of being self-employed. He said he hopes to instill his children—Zev, 6, and Maya, 4—with a Jewish identity.

Green, who grew up in a suburb of Washington, DC, has lived in Portland about 15 years.

Though she was born in Tehran, Dowlatdad said she considers herself an Oregonian. Her family fled Iran when she was 3 as the Iranian revolution began. She grew up in Seaside and has lived in Portland about nine years.

Rogoway is involved in the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, where her mother Laurie Rogoway is associate executive vice-president, and participates in many Jewish women’s events such as the Rejewvenation weekend each fall. This year Rogoway invited Dowlatdad to join her at JFGP’s women’s Impact event featuring Persian Jewish author Angella Nazarian.

“It was a good feeling to walk into a room of 300 Jewish women where everybody was so kind, welcoming and pleasant,” said Dowlatdad, who had feared people’s misperceptions might create a different welcome.

Dowlatdad said when many people think of Muslims, they think of fundamentalists.

“I wish people would see the religion as a peaceful religion,” she said. After her warm welcome at Impact, she said, “I want to continue that building bridges philosophy.”

Green said he thinks that the fact that the three partners started out as adversaries is “indicative of who we are … When we were adversaries we respected each other.”

“Our criminal and civil background gives us a leg up over people who have only one or the other,” added Green of the new firm’s partners.

Dowlatdad Rogoway Green LLP can be reached at 503-935-5450. Their office is located at 0324 SW Abernethy St., Portland. For more information, visit their Web site at www.drglawyers.com.