Overview
Representative Work
Activities & Membership
Awards & Recognition
News & Publications
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Overview
As Co-Chair of the firm's Litigation Department, Paul has a wide-ranging trial practice, representing both individuals and businesses in contract and investment disputes, government investigations, and environmental matters. Paul also serves on the firm's Managing Board.
Before joining Tonkon Torp, Paul was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Susan P. Graber at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable R. William Riggs at the Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals.
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Featured Representative Matters
Non-Competition & Confidentiality Restrictions
Prevailing in a trial on behalf of a national financial services company enforcing non-competition and confidentiality restrictions against a departing executive.
Agricultural Products
Prevailing in a federal court trial against an out-of state bank over ownership of $9 million of agricultural products.
Illegal Homeless Camping
Successfully representing a coalition of businesses and community groups challenging the city of Portland's illegal homeless camping policy.
City of Lake Oswego
Successfully representing the City of Lake Oswego, Oregon in state and federal lawsuits concerning the city's regulation of Oswego Lake.
Electric Utility
Winning summary judgment on behalf of a large electric utility in a $500 million class action arising out of the closure of a nuclear power plant.
Investment Fund
Obtaining a multi-million dollar jury verdict in a state court trial arising out of the client's losses in an investment fund.
Billion Dollar Development Fees
Successfully obtained writ of review challenging the City of Portland’s adoption of billion dollar development fees.
Investment Company
Prevailing in a jury trial in Boston, Massachusetts concerning ownership of a privately held investment company.
Distribution Agreement
Winning a multi-million dollar federal court jury trial arising out of the termination of a distribution
agreement.
agreement.
Nutritional Supplements
Representing a nutritional retailer and manufacturer of nutritional supplements in lawsuit brought by State of Oregon.
Enron Corporation
Representing a member of the Board of Directors of Enron Corporation in litigation across the United States.
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Featured Work
Tonkon Torp Wins Appellate Victory in Lake Oswego Access Dispute
Tonkon Torp litigators won a remarkable victory at the Oregon Court of Appeals in the ongoing high-profile dispute regarding public access to Oswego Lake. Here are the details.
Tonkon Torp Harvests Victory for Oregon Radish Seed Farmers
Tonkon Torp represented 45 Northwest farmers in a dispute with an East Coast commercial bank over who should receive the proceeds from the sale of the farmers’ radish seed crop. Find details and more featured cases here.
Tonkon Torp Litigators Win Judgment on Lake Oswego Access Question
A prolonged, high-profile dispute about public access to Oswego Lake was resolved recently when Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Henry Breithaupt issued an opinion upholding the City of Lake Oswego’s right to control access to the lake from the City’s public park.
Balancing Free Speech and Presidential Security - Wilker Argues at the U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment Issue
On March 26, 2014, Tonkon Torp litigator Steven Wilker argued at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the ACLU of Oregon in Wood v. Moss, a political viewpoint discrimination case. Find details and more featured cases here.
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Community Involvement & Activities
Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society
Board of Directors
Legal Aid Domestic Violence Project
Volunteer Attorney
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Professional Memberships
Arlington Club
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Military Assistance Panel
Volunteer Attorney
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Past Chair, Commercial section
U.S. District Court
2009–2012, Judicial Selection Committee
Oregon State Bar
Past Chair, Business Litigation Section
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Military Assistance Panel
Volunteer Attorney
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Past Chair, Commercial section
U.S. District Court
2009–2012, Judicial Selection Committee
Oregon State Bar
Past Chair, Business Litigation Section
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Awards & Recognitions
The Best Lawyers in America
2011-2019, Commercial Litigation
2011-2019, Litigation – Environmental
2011-2019, Litigation – Securities
2011-2019, Litigation – Environmental
2011-2019, Litigation – Securities
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers
2016–2018, Litigation: General Commercial Law
Super Lawyers
2014-2018, Oregon Super Lawyer – Business Litigation
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Recent News
8.22.2018
The Dramatic Expansion of Oregon's Absolute Litigation Privilege
Paul Conable and Megan Reuther co-authored an article on Oregon's litigation privilege for the Spring 2018 issue of the Oregon State Bar Litigation Journal.
8.17.2018
Best Lawyers in America® Names 51 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2019 List
Fifty-one Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 41 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019. Nearly all attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and have been recognized for more than five years
7.24.2018
31 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2018 Super Lawyers Lists
Thirty-one Tonkon Torp attorneys in 11 practice areas have been included in the 2018 Oregon Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists. Tonkon Torp partner and bankruptcy authority Albert Kennedy has been once again recognized on the Top 50 list of Oregon…
6.4.2018
Chambers USA Names 20 Tonkon Torp Attorneys as Leaders in Their Field
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has named 20 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas as leaders in their field for 2018. The annual reference directory ranks Oregon’s leading lawyers based on interviews with clients and…
8.16.2017
Best Lawyers in America® Names 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2018 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018. Nearly all attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and have been recognized for more than five years…
7.11.2017
28 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2017 Super Lawyers Lists
The national attorney rating service Super Lawyers has named 28 Tonkon Torp attorneys in 10 practice areas to its 2017 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists for Oregon. The annual Super Lawyers list represents the top 5 percent of attorneys in Oregon…
3.27.2017
18 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Named Leaders in Their Field by Peers and Clients
Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business has named 18 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas as leaders in their field for 2017. The annual reference directory ranks Oregon’s leading lawyers based on interviews with clients and…
8.15.2016
Best Lawyers in America® Names 44 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2017 List
Forty-four Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 38 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017. Each attorney has been named to the list in past years, and nearly all have been recognized for more than five years…
7.11.2016
28 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2016 Super Lawyers Lists
Twenty-eight Tonkon Torp attorneys in ten practice areas are named on the national 2016 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists. Super Lawyers are selected through a process that identifies outstanding lawyers in dozens of practice areas. Factors…
6.10.2016
Homeless Camping Addressed in Lawsuit Filed Against Portland
Tonkon Torp litigators Steven Olson and Paul Conable are lead counsel in a lawsuit filed against Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and the City of Portland on April 20 by a coalition of plaintiffs that include neighborhood associations, businesses, and…
4.19.2016
Paul Conable Leads CLE on Expert Depositions
Tonkon Torp litigator Paul Conable spoke on a panel during the April 13 Multnomah Bar Association CLE program discussing effective strategies for expert depositions. During the panel, Paul and his co-presenters provided practical strategies for…
4.12.2016
18 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Are Named Leaders in Their Field by Peers and Clients
Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business has named 18 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas as leaders in their field for 2016. The annual reference directory ranks Oregon’s leading lawyers based on interviews with clients and…
8.18.2015
45 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America® 2016
Forty-five Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016. All of them have been named to the list at least once before, and many of them have been recognized for a number of…
7.29.2015
Portland's Parks-Fee Blowout Brings Expected Lawsuit
Led by litigators Paul Conable, Steven Olson, and Chris Pallanch, Tonkon Torp recently filed a "Petition for Writ of Review," challenging the City of Portland and its new method of calculating parks system development charges (effectively a tax on…
7.23.2015
2015 Super Lawyers Honors 23 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Twenty-three Tonkon Torp attorneys in nine practice areas are named on the national 2015 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists. Two partners are recognized on the Oregon Top 50 list, lawyers rated most highly by their peers statewide.
10.15.2014
Conable Offers Perspective on Commercial Litigation
Paul Conable, co-chair of Tonkon Torp’s Litigation Department, is prominently featured in the current issue of the Portland Business Journal and its related media. In the weekly newspaper’s October 10th issue, Conable answers questions about what…
8.20.2014
Best Lawyers in America® 2015 Names 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to Prestigious List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 40 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015. All of them have been named to the list at least once before, and many of them have been recognized for a number of…
7.9.2014
2014 Super Lawyers Honors 23 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Twenty-three Tonkon Torp attorneys in 11 practice areas have been named to the national 2014 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists, including three partners who are recognized on the Oregon Top 50 list, lawyers rated most highly by their peers…
3.4.2014
ACLU of Oregon Honors 5 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Five Tonkon Torp lawyers were honored last weekend at the annual Liberty Dinner, a benefit for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU). Steven Wilker, Owen Blank, Paul Conable, Gwen Griffith and James Hein were recognized for their…
2.6.2014
Steven Wilker Prepares to Argue at U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment Issue
Litigator Steven Wilker is preparing to argue at the U.S. Supreme Court in late March in the matter of Wood v. Moss. The case poses the question of whether Secret Service agents can be sued for moving peaceful protesters out of sight and sound of the…
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Publications & Presentations
"The Dramatic Expansion of Oregon's Absolute Litigation Privilege," OSB Litigation Journal, Spring 2018
“Effective Strategies for Expert Depositions,” Multnomah Bar Association, April 2016
"Real Life Ethics Issues in Business Deals and Litigation," OSB Business Litigation Section, November 2013
"Registered Investment Advisors Update," 33rd Annual Northwest Securities Institute, Portland, OR, May 2013
"California Cap and Trade Program Likely to Face Legal Challenges," Daily Journal of Commerce, January 2012
"Surviving Winter: The Ninth Circuit Reaffirms the 'Serious Questions' Test for Injunctive Relief," Litigation Journal 2011
"Federal Civil Litigation in Oregon," Injunctions and Other Forms of Relief, Oregon State Bar 2009