Ciaran Connelly has the advantage of not falling neatly into the categories of litigator or corporate lawyer—he is both. As a Partner at MWCC, Mr. Connelly uses his broad litigation experience to draft agreements that discourage or avoid future disputes. And when litigation is necessary, Mr. Connelly uses his business acumen to craft strategies that best achieve his clients' business goals. Clients praise Mr. Connelly's ability to efficiently distill complex legal issues into practical advice.

Mr. Connelly was selected to the Oregon Rising Stars list in 2017 by Super Lawyers Magazine. Before co-founding MWCC, Mr. Connelly worked as a Partner at another Portland firm and as an associate at two prominent New York law firms, where he handled diverse matters ranging from complex commercial lease and contract cases to mass-tort and insurance disputes, to regulatory and compliance investigation and defense.

Representative Matters

Mr. Connelly's experience in corporate matters includes helping clients form a real estate investment company and issuing a private placement memorandum, advising angel investors on the exculpation and indemnity provisions they should have in place before serving on start–up boards, and drafting standard residential lease agreements that comply with state and local regulations in Oregon and Washington. Mr. Connelly is on the forefront of the emerging area of blockchain law and has presented to industry groups on the legal opportunities and challenges that blockchain technology presents.

Mr. Connelly's experience with complex commercial contract and real estate disputes includes representing an investment bank in a $100 million lease dispute with its landlord, working on disputes involving the control and ownership of several high–profile office buildings in Portland, control of a prominent hotel management company, and several disputes between members of limited liability companies in Oregon, Washington, and New York. He consulted with a biotechnology firm to assess the merits of a potential contract and intellectual property dispute with its joint–venture research partner over an enzyme to be used in the production of biofuels. He represented a bank in a contract dispute with its client, a CEO, regarding a complex derivative transaction called a "cashless collar." Mr. Connelly also has experience representing clients in disputes as diverse as complex inter–lender agreements, railroad trackage rights, and head–hunting fees.

Mr. Connelly has broad tort experience, including representing large institutional investors in multi–billion–dollar securities suits against Wall Street banks and defending a Fortune 200 company in a nine–month civil RICO trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and in the subsequent appeal. He represented a Fortune 100 company in a shareholder dispute related to a multi–billion–dollar merger, and was part of a team that recovered $30 million on behalf of a union for actuarial malpractice. He also helped resolve a reinsurer's liability in connection with a $1 billion Ponzi scheme. In a significant insurance coverage case, Mr. Connelly represented a reinsurance company in a $300 million bad–faith dispute with its reinsured related to an asbestos claim.

Mr. Connelly has significant experience representing corporations in regulatory and internal investigations. In addition to responding to FINRA and state attorney general requests, he represented a major accounting firm in an SEC investigation of the accounting practices of its largest client. He also aided an investment bank with an internal FCPA investigation into its business in China. Mr. Connelly also has experience in criminal appeals work, having handled two pro–bono appeals, one on behalf of a defendant, and one on behalf of the King County (Brooklyn) District Attorney's office.

Prior Employment

Before co-founding MWCC, Mr. Connelly was a Partner at Ball Janik LLP, where he practiced since 2011. Before that, Mr. Connelly was an associate with Grais & Ellsworth LLP, a boutique New York City law firm, where his practice focused on private label mortgage–backed securities litigation.

From 2004 to 2009, Mr. Connelly was an associate with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, an internationally recognized law firm, where his work focused on complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal cases, and regulatory investigations.

Before entering law school in 2001, Mr. Connelly was a litigation paralegal for two years with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York.

Community Involvement

Mr. Connelly served for several years as the President of the Northwest District Association, where he advocated on behalf of local residents and businesses for a vibrant, welcoming, and livable Northwest neighborhood.

Mr. Connelly served on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar's Business Litigation Section and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Multnomah Bar Association, Oregon Women Lawyers, and the Dartmouth Lawyers Association.