Kevin Yolken

Attorney Kevin Yolken focuses his practice on civil rights litigation. Prior to moving with his family to Eugene and joining the firm, he represented clients in Hawai'i in high-profile police misconduct cases and civil rights claims in both federal and state court. His practice frequently involves claims against state and local governments, where he passionately fights for the rights of the individual up against institutional powers.

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 allow police to investigate and arrest subjects when a clear conflict of interest exists, and obtained a favorable settlement against the police when an officer falsely arrested a teenage boy as retaliation for a family member. He has represented clients in numerous wrongful death and excessive force cases against the police and prisons, victims of harassment and discrimination in employment and school settings, clients sued for speech protected by the First Amendment, and parents unconstitutionally deprived of custody by Child Welfare Services.

Kevin also works on negligence and medical malpractice cases. Shortly after joining the firm, he and attorneys Shane Davis and Scott Lucas obtained a jury verdict against a multinational waste management company whose driver ran over and killed an unhoused person.

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.