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Catalyst Law, founded in 2014 by Kimberly Pray, uses the tools of law, business, and philanthropy to help clients navigate sustainable life transitions, promote social change, and strengthen communities through collaborative legal services.
The firm has lived its values in concrete ways. Catalyst founded and provided seed funding to launch The Commons Law Center, a nonprofit law firm serving low-to-moderate income clients and training new lawyers. The firm was awarded B Corporation certification in April 2018 and has provided pro bono legal assistance over the years to organizations including Social Venture Partners Portland, Better Business Portland, and the Entrepreneurs Organization Portland Chapter.
In January 2023, Catalyst assumed the King City office of Pariani, Pray, & Villella from Anne Villella and is now the proud steward of a practice whose roots stretch back more than sixty years and whose mission has always been the same: serving local families with expertise, integrity, and care.
The King City office has served the estate planning needs of generations of local families and is proud of its legacy spanning more than six decades and four attorneys.
The story begins with Attorney Michael D. O’Neil, who practiced law in the King City community for more than four decades. Mike built deep roots here, guiding local families through estate planning with the kind of long-term, trusted relationships that span generations. When he retired, he entrusted his practice to an attorney who shared his commitment to the community.
In 2006, Attorney Pamela Pariani assumed Michael O’Neil’s practice. A former corporate vice president, Pam earned her J.D. and built a second career in service to her clients where she continued the tradition of personalized, community-centered counsel Mike had established. She retired from the practice of law on December 31, 2016.
Attorney Anne Villella assumed the practice in 2017 when Pam retired. A Portland native, Anne returned to Oregon in 1994 to earn her law degree after she and her husband sold two businesses in Everett, Washington. She served as a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School for thirteen years, teaching Wills and Trusts and lawyering skills, which allowed her to combine her love of law with a passion for teaching. She brought that same depth to her King City clients until retiring to Southern Italy in 2023 to spend more time with her family.