A Brief History

The firm of Duffy Kekel LLP traces its roots in taxation and the forest products industry back to Carl E. Davidson, who left his job as a logging superintendent in the 1930s to attend law school at the University of Oregon. After graduation, he was hired as the first attorney for the newly-formed State Tax Commission, eventually entering private practice, where his experience in the lumber industry and his knowledge of taxation attracted many forest products companies to his office. He formed a partnership with John F. Reilly in 1941, just a few years after Charles P. Duffy and Walden Stout began working for Reilly and his former partner, James G. Wilson. Although Reilly had an active practice as a trial attorney, the firm began to focus on tax matters after his death in 1945.

Our firm is named for Charles P. Duffy and David A. Kekel, two attorneys who contributed significantly to our firm and its reputation in the areas of taxation and estate planning.

Charles P. Duffy

Charles P. Duffy was born in Portland and graduated from the University of Washington and its law school. During his nearly sixty years of practice, he handled countless taxation cases at the administrative level before the Internal Revenue Service and the Oregon Department of Revenue and tried cases in the federal District Courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (formerly the U.S. Claims Court), the United States Tax Court, the Oregon Supreme Court, and the Oregon Tax Court, in addition to arguing dozens of cases in the federal Circuit Courts of Appeals. Many of those cases resulted in landmark legal decisions, particularly involving the income taxation of forest products companies and timberland owners. He died in 2001.

David A. Kekel

David A. Kekel was also born in Portland. He graduated from the University of Oregon and Northwestern School of Law. His practice was primarily devoted to estate planning, an area in which he earned a widespread reputation for his expertise. At the time of his retirement, he was the state chairman of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He died in 1999.

Before their respective retirements, both Charles Duffy and David Kekel were listed in the book "The Best Lawyers in America". To us, they were friends and mentors who set standards we will always try to maintain.

Although our firm has grown over the years, we remain devoted to the concept of high quality service and personal attention to resolve complex legal problems.