Partner Profile: James L. Porter, Jr.
Jim Porter, the firm's senior shareholder, has practiced in the Truckee area for almost 40 years. His principal areas of expertise include real estate, construction, business, land use, and as of late, foreclosure law. Jim has regularly consulted with homeowners "upside down" on their loans. He is also a licensed California real estate broker and trained in mediation. Jim is one of the best known and respected lawyers in this region and is held in very high regard, both within and outside of the legal community. Jim has been honored to have received the highest possible rating for lawyers of AV from the national law firm rating company, Martindale-Hubbell.
Jim's weekly newspaper column, "Law Review," has been featured in Truckee's and North Lake Tahoe's Sierra Sun for 30 years. He pens a bi-monthly California-law column in the Washoe County Bar publication, The Writ. He has taught business law classes at various local colleges, and is a member of several bar associations. In 1995, he was the first recipient of the "Attorney of the Year" award presented by the Tahoe-Truckee Bar Association. He was the Governor's appointee to the Bipartisan McPherson Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, both involving election law. Jim recently received the North Lake Tahoe Chamber and Resort Association's Distinguished Community Service Award. He was also voted "Best Attorney" in the Best of 2009 community vote sponsored by the Bonanza and Sierra Sun newspapers. Jim was awarded Citizen of the Year in Truckee in 2011.
In addition to his other activities, Jim is the founding Chairman of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation, formed in 1998 with a substantial donation from William Hewlett, now controlling assets totaling greater than $15 million. Jim and his wife, Marianne, have two daughters, Shanley and Kelsey. An avid outdoorsman, his favorite hobbies include mountain biking, whitewater rafting, camping, cross country skiing, fishing, hunting and driving his children to a myriad of activities.
Jim was born in Woodland and raised in the Sacramento area. He graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1969 with a B.A. in Economics. He received his law degree with honors from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, in 1972. Jim is a member of the Order of the Coif and Thurston Legal Honor Societies. He is admitted to practice in California, Nevada, and various federal courts.