If you’ve lived in the Mid-Willamette Valley for even a short while you’ve probably come across either a grocery store or an individual that shares my last name. The “Roth” surname is fairly common, as multiple generations of Roth families have lived and worked in and around Salem. My family is no exception. My grandfather started farming just east of Salem (near Central Howell) in the early 1900’s, and my father carried that business on until his death in 2010. Presently, my brothers operate the family farm, still located east of Salem. My family and I live just outside of Silverton in the old ‘home place’ where I grew up. My wife teaches at Pratum School (a 3-room, K-8 country school in the Silver Falls District), and has for a number of years. While I didn’t always appreciate this “history,” I do now. Catching up with an old friend, acquaintance, family member or relative while attending a high school event, eating at a local restaurant, or just walking my dog is common and comfortable. It provides me with a strong sense of family, of faith, and of community.

While not always appreciated by my wife or my daughters, I’m a detail-oriented person. I wouldn’t go so far as to confess a love for the federal tax code, but I do appreciate the fine points and technicalities it offers. As a former school teacher, the process of helping my clients understand how various tax laws and regulations impact their business and personal decisions is satisfying. I am most engaged when working with a client to try to solve his or her problem, or planning with and advising a client on how to avoid problems.

In addition to satisfying my penchant for detail, practicing law provides me with countless opportunities to learn. Learning about the application of current laws and regulations as well as the implementation of new laws and regulations is required and necessary to “stay afloat.” More meaningful to me is learning about my clients and the businesses each of them are involved in. I rarely pass up the opportunity to meet in a client’s office (as opposed to my own), and to listen to him or her talk about what they do. I feel fortunate to have clients who are committed to their families, their occupations, and their communities.

I focus my practice in the following areas:

Retirement Plans & Employee Benefits
Business Law
Tax Law
Estate Planning

When away from the office these days, I enjoy riding my bike, hiking, and trying new restaurants recommended by my colleagues. If I get the chance, there’s no feeling that compares to climbing on a tractor now and then. I still can’t plow a straight furrow, but as things go, my brothers seem to care less about that than my grandpa did.

Willamette University College of Law (1992)

• Moot Court
• Law Clerk for Heltzel Williams PC

George Fox College, Newberg, Oregon, cum laude (1983)