Kevin Yolken - Eugene, OR

Attorney Kevin Yolken focuses his practice on civil rights litigation. Prior to joining the firm in 2023, he represented clients in Hawai'i in high-profile police misconduct cases and civil rights claims in both federal and state court—work he now continues on behalf of Oregonians harmed by abuses of power and institutional neglect. His practice frequently involves claims against state and local governments, where he passionately fights for the rights of individuals.

Early in the Covid-19 Pandemic, Kevin was co-counsel on a class-action lawsuit in Hawai'i that secured protections for all inmates statewide at a time when institutional infections and deaths were at their peak. In partnership with the ACLU, he fought against policies that sanctioned a police officer’s use of state power to investigate and unlawfully arrest a minor over a personal dispute between the minor and the officer’s own child. He has represented clients in numerous wrongful death and excessive force cases against the police and prisons, victims of sexual assault and discrimination, parents wrongfully deprived of custody, and individuals sued for speech protected by the First Amendment.

Kevin’s diverse practice also includes negligence and medical malpractice cases. From a jury verdict against a multinational waste management company whose driver ran over and killed an unhoused person in Eugene, to obtaining numerous seven-figure settlements on behalf of clients ranging from fire victims to those harmed by negligent medical care, Kevin’s passionate approach to the practice of law generates results.

Selected to Rising Stars by Super Lawyers, Kevin is licensed to practice in federal and state courts in Oregon and Hawai'i, and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

After a promising alpine ski racing career was cut short by injury, Kevin moved to Hawai'i in 2005 and attended the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in psychology. He later earned his law degree from the University of Hawai'i, William S. Richardson School of Law, where he competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition—one of the nation’s largest interschool competitions—winning awards for best oralist and best brief.

Kevin is still a dedicated skier and an avid sailor, having lived on his sailboat through law school and sailed throughout Hawai'i and in countries around the world. He and his wife Leslie are raising two young children to share in their love for the mountains, the ocean, and the outdoors.