D. Rahn Hostetter
Partner / Founding Attorney
In 1982, Rahn Hostetter left a career as an Enforcement Attorney at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. and drove his young family to the far edge of Eastern Oregon — to the place where, quite literally, the road ends in Wallowa County. He’s been here ever since.
Rahn hired on as a knot bumper with Lathrop Logging. While working in the woods, he ran for District Attorney of Wallowa County and was elected in the primary, becoming one of the youngest DAs in Oregon at the time.
Prosecuting criminal cases led him to take on the more complex challenges of civil law. He has been in private practice for more than 38 years.
Over 44 years of practice, Rahn has built one of the most experienced land use and real property litigation practices in Oregon. His work focuses on real property transactions, boundary disputes, zoning and land use, easements, title issues, aviation and airport interfaces, and complex business structures and litigation. His clients have ranged from multi-state corporations to next-door neighbors.
“I don’t back down from powerful institutions or formidable adversaries when my clients need me to fight for what’s right. I get to the heart of a matter efficiently and effectively. We are not the normal small town practice.”
Rahn’s approach starts gentle but direct. Clients who are nervous about calling a lawyer are pleasantly surprised by the firm’s friendly, relaxed environment. But when a situation demands it, Rahn transitions seamlessly into tenacious advocacy — including, if called for, defending and challenging lower court decisions in appellate jurisdictions.
Rahn and his wife have been married 50 years. They have four children and 17 grandchildren. He owns and operates a cattle ranch in Wallowa County, where the outdoor life balances the cerebral pursuits of the law. He is an active member of Christ Covenant Church.
EDUCATION
Lewis & Clark Law School, Law Review, 1978
Messiah College, Chemistry and Mathematics, cum laude
BAR ADMISSIONS
All Oregon Courts
United States District Court, District of Oregon
United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
PUBLICATIONS
The Tenth Amendment: Do Federal Agencies Really Have the Power to Command?, Environmental Law, Vol. 7, Issue 2 (1977)