New General Counsel Position Goes to Ellis

David G. Ellis, associate dean of administration and director of the business law program at Lewis & Clark Law School, was recently named vice president, secretary of the College, and general counsel. Ellis began his new duties on January 1.

“David’s background as a practicing attorney, as business law program director, and as an administrator will serve the College well,” says Paul Bragdon, interim president. Ellis is the College’s first in-house general counsel, a position that reflects the growing complexity of the legal environment of higher education.

Ellis will manage the College’s legal business and provide legal support, advice, and assistance to the Board of Trustees, administration, and College departments.

“I’m extremely excited by the opportunity to create the office of general counsel for this wonderful institution,” says Ellis. “This position allows me to combine my background as a practicing attorney with the academic and administrative experiences I gained at the law school.”

Ellis joined Lewis & Clark Law School in 2000 as director of the business law program and was soon promoted to associate dean of administrative affairs and business services. Prior to Lewis & Clark, he worked in the Portland law firm of Farleigh Wada & Witt, where he focused his practice on general business and commercial real estate transactions for large commercial lenders. Ellis worked both as a solo practitioner and as managing general counsel with First Interstate Bank of Oregon. Earlier he was an associate at Stoel Rives law firm and an assistant attorney general with the Oregon Department of Justice.

Ellis is active in the community and has served on various boards including those of Thomas Edison High School and the Oregon chapter of the Leukemia Society of America. He is currently on the Oregon State Bar’s pro bono committee. Ellis earned his B.A. from Sonoma State University and his J.D. from the University of Oregon.