Meet Pete
(And the Fam)
Growing Up Pete
Pete Grabiel grew up in southern California and is the fifth of eight children. He was raised by his parents, Pablo and Susie, to have a strong work ethic and a focus on education and community service. Pete’s father, Pablo, came to the U.S. as a child speaking only Spanish, and Pete would become the first Latino to hold a seat in the 33rd district.
Pete began working at age 8 as a paperboy and put himself through college at the University of California, Berkeley, where he met his wife, Leela.
Later, while earning his law degree at George Washington University, Pete worked at a non-profit environmental law firm before moving to private practice in New York upon graduation.
An International Environmental Lawyer
Leela’s career later moved the couple to Sydney Australia and London England, and allowed Pete to return to non-profit work as an international environmental lawyer where he advised governments on the climate and ozone negotiations at the United Nations.
His 9-year effort to move the world away from a family of super greenhouse gases known as HFCs culminated in 2016 with the passage of the historic Kigali Amendment – a climate achievement heralded around the globe.
That same year Pete and Leela moved back to the U.S. to be closer to family and chose to settle in Portland. Pete joined Pitzer Law as a commercial litigator and later became a partner.
Last year he and his partner represented two Oregon families and won a $61 million trial against a global accounting firm – one of the largest jury verdicts in Oregon history.
In his spare time, Pete coaches his daughter Lola's soccer team and enjoys outdoor activities with his family in Oregon.
