About Us

There are four attorneys at Behrends, Swingdoff, Haines, and Critchlow. They all have different interests and backgrounds but all enjoy practicing law and helping our clients with a variety of legal issues.

Name: Stephen Behrends

Position: Senior Attorney and Managing Shareholder

Background: Steve is married with two adult children. He was born and raised in Southern California and has lived in Eugene since 1975. He received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Riverside. He received his law degree from University of Oregon in 1978. He founded the firm in 1981 and then in 1983 earned a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Taxation from the University of San Diego.

Hobbies: Steve enjoys spending time with his family. In his free time, he pursues a wide variety of outdoor activities with them, including camping, biking, hiking, skiing and sailing. He holds a 5-year Kidsports coaching certificate.

"I am proud of this firm that I started over 25 years ago. I know how good it feels to be able to help someone get back on their feet or make someone's life a little easier by dealing with their legal problems. Our goal is to provide quality legal services at reasonable rates so that our clients can afford to have our help when they need it. I enjoy being part of this legal team."

Name: Kevin Swingdoff

Position: Attorney and Shareholder

Background: Kevin is married with one young child and two college aged step sons. Kevin was born in Minnesota and raised in North Dakota. He has lived in Eugene since 1989. He received his undergraduate degree and his law degree from University of Idaho. He has been with the firm since 1990.

Hobbies: Kevin enjoys playing hockey, coaching for Kidsports and participating in family activities. Kevin enjoys the mild Eugene climate and the friendly people.

"I enjoy meeting and helping people. I like that every day brings something different and interesting. It is very satisfying to be able to meet these challenges and handle my clients' tough legal problems."

Name: Cyndee Haines

Position: Attorney and Shareholder

Background: Cyndee is married with two adult children. She received her undergraduate degree with honors in Social Services/Psychology from San Jose State University in 1976. After college, she was a social worker and counselor for over ten years. During that time, she worked with a variety of individuals including teenagers. She has lived in Eugene since 1986. She received her law degree from the University of Oregon in 1991 and has been with the firm since 1992.

Hobbies: In her free time, Cyndee enjoy activities with her family, riding her horse, gardening, reading, traveling, hiking and doing volunteer work with high school students. She holds a 10-year Kidsports coaching certificate.

"I chose family law as my speciality. My personal and professional background give me a unique approach to family law. I feel strongly that divorce is an extremely hard and stressful experience for families and I do all I can to help my clients and their families through this process."

Name: William Critchlow

Position: Attorney and Shareholder

Background: Bill is married with two young children. He received his undergraduate degree from Montana State University and has lived in Eugene since 1988. Originally from Montana, Bill moved to Oregon in 1986 and worked in the timber industry before attending law school. He received a law degree from the University of Oregon in 1991 and has been with the firm since 1994.

Hobbies: Bill enjoys family and outdoor activities, especially gardening. He has been a member of the local bonsai club for about 8 years. He currently maintains a bonsai collection of 40 trees.

"I enjoy our small-firm atmosphere and the way we encourage good communication and close working relationships with our clients. We have a hands-on, face to face style. We get to know our clients and that makes helping them very satisfying."

This web page is designed to help you get information about different legal matters and how we handle them at Behrends, Swingdoff, Haines and Critchlow. It is not intended to give you legal advice for your specific situation. Please call or write if you would like to request a packet of information, schedule an appointment or retain us or if you just want to talk to legal professional about your questions.

You can reach us during regular business hours at (541) 344-7472 or 1-800-391-7472. After business hours, try (541) 344-8313. It is sometimes staffed in the evenings or on the weekends. You can also leave a message on the answering machine on our main phone number or the 800 number, with your name, phone number and/or address. Our fax number is (541) 344-6466. Our address is P.O. Box 10552, Eugene, OR 97440. If it is more convenient, email us at info@oregon-attorneys.com.

We encourage you to call with your questions so that you can get answers right away.

Copyright © 2006 Behrends, Swingdoff, Haines, & Critchlow