About OCJ

Oregon Consumer Justice is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring that all people in Oregon experience a safe and fair marketplace. We advance the rights of consumers through advocacy, research, education, and engagement. We work to bring consumer justice into balance for all Oregonians.

OCJ Story

A Cy Pres award distributes unclaimed class action settlement money to a charitable organization and is how OCJ came to be.

In March 2015, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed her first bill into law. Prior to House Bill 2700, companies that lost class action lawsuits were allowed to keep unclaimed settlement money as their own. Bill 2700 changed that in mandating unclaimed funds be used to the benefit of consumers, not the corporations that harmed them.

The law was applied for the first time in 2019 in class action lawsuit Scharfstein v. BP West Coast Products LLC. Judge Jerome LaBarre directed that unclaimed funds from the class action lawsuit be used to establish a consumer advocacy non-profit organization. Three board members were named to lead its design.

Board of Directors

Named by Judge Jerome LaBarre in 2019, the OCJ Founding Board is growing to include other leaders committed to creating a more just and equitable Oregon and will reflect the diversity of people and issues it aims to help.

Henry Kantor

Chair

Founding Board Member

Meet Henry

Justin Baxter

Secretary

Founding Board Member

Meet Justin

Emily Reiman

Treasurer

Founding Board Member

Meet Emily

Startup Staff

In 2020, OCJ hired ASCETA to deliver and launch a strategy advancing an equitable and sustainable system of consumer justice in Oregon. ASCETA engaged, listened and learned from experts working in and towards consumer justice throughout Oregon to identify gaps and opportunities, develop programs and organizational capacity, and is leading recruitment of the OCJ Board of Directors, Advisors and Staff.

Sophia Tzeng

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Meet Sophia

Tia Coachman

Interim Chief People Officer

Meet Tia

Debbie Carter

Interim Chief Engagement Officer

Meet Debbie

Emily Lindsay

Interim Project Manager and Administrator

Meet Emily

Working towards consumer justice

Oregon Consumer Justice is looking for people committed to creating a more just and equitable Oregon. If you think you may be that person, join our team.

Work with OCJ

Henry Kantor

Chair and Founding Board Member

A trial judge in Multnomah County for over 22 years, Henry Kantor graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, earned his JD from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, and has been a member of the Oregon State Bar since 1979. Prior to taking judicial office, his practice focused on trial and appellate law in Oregon’s state and federal courts, emphasizing complex consumer cases, commercial litigation, and class actions. Henry was appointed to the court in 1994 and was elected and re-elected by the voters to four terms of office, retiring in 2017. He then worked two years as Special Counsel to the Oregon Attorney General. Henry continues to serve the public as a senior judge.

Justin Baxter

Secretary and Founding Board Member

A trial attorney with Baxter & Baxter, LLP, Justin Baxter has shared his clients’ stories with state and federal juries in credit reporting, fair debt collection, mortgage, and privacy cases. A member of the Oregon State Bar since 1999, Justin received his JD from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. In addition to OCJ, he sits on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Consumer Advocates. He is the past Chair of the Oregon State Bar Consumer Law Section and the past Chair of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association’s Consumer Protection Section.

Emily Reiman

Treasurer and Founding Board Member

Emily Reiman is the CEO of two affiliated non-profits: DevNW (a CDC focused on developing affordable housing, creating financial opportunity for low-income families, and building equitable, thriving neighborhoods/communities) and Community LendingWorks (a CDFI that provides safe, affordable consumer and micro/small business loans for people typically un or underserved by the financial mainstream). The organizations serve much of Western Oregon, with offices in Springfield, Corvallis, Salem, and Oregon City. Prior to her work in community economic development, Emily spent ten years working with at-risk youth, mostly centered around the foster care system. She attended Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts, but is otherwise a lifelong Oregonian.

Sophia Tzeng

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Sophia Tzeng Principal and Managing Director of ASCETA, a strategic design consultancy known for social venture leadership, equitable and inclusive strategic planning and innovation. A former attorney, entrepreneur and non-profit executive director, Sophia recently served as Interim Executive Director of Innovation Law Lab, which was recognized by the Financial Times as Legal Innovator of the Year during her tenure. A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, Sophia is a member of the New York State Bar since 2002 and Oregon State Bar since 2010, was founding Board President of Period. The Menstrual Movement and has served on the Boards of DePaul Industries, Campfire Columbia and the Oregon Environmental Council. Sophia was also a longtime Partner with Social Venture Partners Portland.

Tia B. Coachman

Interim Chief People Officer

Tia Coachman is a Human Resources Leader and Founder of Affirma Consultancy, a bespoke HR advisory firm focused on workforce solutions. Shaped by roles in the advertising industry at Wieden + Kennedy and 24/7 Laundry Service as well as the Federal and District of Columbia Government, Tia is rooted in the community and committed to the progress of African-Americans and women. She has served on the Boards and committees for the Black United Fund, Bitch Media, Portland Workforce Alliance, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. A Howard University graduate with a BBA in International Business and Marketing, Tia earned her MBA at the University of Maryland University College and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, a service organization. She also holds the SHRM-SCP Certification.

Debbie Carter

Interim Chief Marketing Officer

A seasoned CMO with experience building brand awareness and igniting enterprise growth around the world, Debbie Carter has developed break-through marketing solutions at Nike, Burgerville, the Novo Foundation and Gymboree. Now, as Founder/Principal of Diving Allowed, she helps organizations navigate complex systems through collaboration and consensus building. Debbie has served as an advisor for Habitat for Humanity – Women Build and serves as a board member for the Wing Women, a Nike alumnae network.

Emily Lindsay

Interim Project Manager and Administrator

Emily Lindsay has extensive experience managing programs and projects in non-profit healthcare, global health, and education. Prior to her role at OCJ and ASCETA, she was the Director of Administrative Excellence at AltaMed in Los Angeles (one of the largest FQHC’s in the country). She is passionate about collaborative design that improves access and services with and for populations that have historically have been underserved and marginalized. She has certifications in Project Management, Process Improvement, and Change Management and holds an MPA from Seattle University. She has been honored to assist at orphanages in the city of her birth, Kolkata, and for a year with Aman Bhiradiri serving Delhi’s street children as an American Indian Foundation Fellow.