Overview
Representative Work
Activities & Membership
Awards & Recognition
News & Publications
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Overview
Turid has practiced immigration law since 1988. She founded the firm’s Immigration Practice Group in 1999 and served as its chair for more than 18 years. Turid advises clients on employment-related immigration and other immigration matters. Her diverse client base includes both startups and international companies, as well as individuals.
Turid currently serves as Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Business Immigration Response Team, which issues practice advisories on current topics to attorneys nationally. She previously served as a member of the USCIS HQ Benefits Committee, and as AILA's liaison to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office for eight years. She is a past member of AILA's Service Center Operations Committee, a past member of AILA's Ombudsman Liaison Committee, a past Chair of AILA's USCIS Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee, and a past Chair of the Oregon Chapter of AILA. She is a speaker at AILA conferences both regionally and nationally. Turid has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers and Partners USA, and Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Immigration for her achievements in immigration law.
Turid has been active in the local bar throughout her career. She served as a mentor for young lawyers through the Multnomah Bar Association Mentor Program, a program she helped launch in 1993. Turid is a past member of the Executive Committee of the International Law Section of the Oregon State Bar, a past Chair of the Multnomah Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee, and a past President of the Young Lawyers Section of the Multnomah Bar Association.
In the community, Turid currently serves on the Board of Directors of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest. She previously served as Director of Mentors for Minds Matter of Portland, Inc., on a board at her children's elementary school, and as legal advisor for more than 10 years to Friendly House, a neighborhood social services agency for senior citizens and families in transition. Turid is married to E. Walter Van Valkenburg and is the mother of two children. Her interests include education, parenting, reading, traveling, and walking.
Turid currently serves as Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Business Immigration Response Team, which issues practice advisories on current topics to attorneys nationally. She previously served as a member of the USCIS HQ Benefits Committee, and as AILA's liaison to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office for eight years. She is a past member of AILA's Service Center Operations Committee, a past member of AILA's Ombudsman Liaison Committee, a past Chair of AILA's USCIS Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee, and a past Chair of the Oregon Chapter of AILA. She is a speaker at AILA conferences both regionally and nationally. Turid has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers and Partners USA, and Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Immigration for her achievements in immigration law.
Turid has been active in the local bar throughout her career. She served as a mentor for young lawyers through the Multnomah Bar Association Mentor Program, a program she helped launch in 1993. Turid is a past member of the Executive Committee of the International Law Section of the Oregon State Bar, a past Chair of the Multnomah Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee, and a past President of the Young Lawyers Section of the Multnomah Bar Association.
In the community, Turid currently serves on the Board of Directors of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest. She previously served as Director of Mentors for Minds Matter of Portland, Inc., on a board at her children's elementary school, and as legal advisor for more than 10 years to Friendly House, a neighborhood social services agency for senior citizens and families in transition. Turid is married to E. Walter Van Valkenburg and is the mother of two children. Her interests include education, parenting, reading, traveling, and walking.
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Get To Know
Turid is married to E. Walter Van Valkenburg and is the mother of two children. Her interests include education, parenting, jogging, reading, and traveling. She is fascinated by people and cultures. Turid loves traveling and visiting countries from which her clients emigrate. She attributes her affinity for people to her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Norway and encouraged her to be inquisitive of other cultures.
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Featured Work
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Community Involvement & Activities
American Immigration Lawyers Association
2018–Present, Chair, AILA Business Immigration Response Team
2004–Present, served as liaison on various AILA committees
1991–Present, Member
AILA Oregon Chapter
1991–Present, Member
2001–2002, Chapter Chair
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
2012–Present, Member, Board of Directors
Marathon Partners
2007–Present, Partner
Reed College Women’s Committee
1990–Present, Member
1991–1992, Chair
Women Presidents’ Organization
2009–2012, Member, Board of Directors
Minds Matter of Portland, Inc.
2006–2010, Director of Mentors
Chapman Elementary School Site Council
2000–2002 and 2003–2005, Parent Member
2018–Present, Chair, AILA Business Immigration Response Team
2004–Present, served as liaison on various AILA committees
1991–Present, Member
AILA Oregon Chapter
1991–Present, Member
2001–2002, Chapter Chair
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
2012–Present, Member, Board of Directors
Marathon Partners
2007–Present, Partner
Reed College Women’s Committee
1990–Present, Member
1991–1992, Chair
Women Presidents’ Organization
2009–2012, Member, Board of Directors
Minds Matter of Portland, Inc.
2006–2010, Director of Mentors
Chapman Elementary School Site Council
2000–2002 and 2003–2005, Parent Member
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Professional Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon State Bar
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon State Bar
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Awards & Recognitions
The Best Lawyers in America
2005–2018, Immigration Law
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers
2010–2018, Labor & Employment: Immigration
Super Lawyers
2006–2012, Oregon Super Lawyer - Immigration
Who's Who Legal
2015–2018, Corporate Immigration
American Immigration Lawyers Association, Oregon Chapter
2011 - Gerald H. Robinson Excellence in Advocacy Award
American Immigration Lawyers Association
2007 - Presidential Award for Outstanding Leadership in Liaison
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Recent News
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…
8.25.2017
Tonkon Torp Hosts Encore of Popular Immigration Briefing
Due to popular demand, Tonkon Torp Business Immigration lawyers Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt, along with Labor & Employment attorney Kristin Bremer Moore, hosted an encore immigration briefing for employers…
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…
7.10.2017
Tonkon Torp Briefs Employers on Worksite Enforcement and I-9 Issues
Tonkon Torp Business Immigration lawyers Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melina LaMorticella, and Melany Savitt, along with Labor & Employment attorney Kristin Bremer Moore, hosted a recent immigration law breakfast briefing for employers. The group spoke…
5.8.2017
Tonkon Torp Hosts 2017 Labor and Employment Law Seminar
On May 4, attorneys from the Tonkon Torp Labor & Employment and Business Immigration practice groups hosted their annual Employment Law Seminar at the Oregon Zoo for nearly 200 human resource professionals and other business leaders. The 2017 seminar…
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…
3.21.2017
Tonkon Torp Sponsors 2017 Power of the Purse Fundraiser
On March 17, Tonkon Torp was a Patron Sponsor for the eighth consecutive year at Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest's annual "Power of the Purse" auction. Turid Owren has been a Girls Inc. board member since 2012.
3.8.2017
Tonkon Torp Immigration Practice Group Prepares Employers for H-1B Cap Season
On February 15, Tonkon Torp’s Immigration Practice Group held a breakfast briefing to help employers prepare for the April 2017 H-1B Cap season and to discuss how the Trump Administration could impact the program going forward. Attorneys Turid Owren…
3.8.2017
As Immigration Policy Shifts, Smarter Strategies Are Key
Tonkon Torp's Business Immigration practice group is the subject of a brand story published in the March issue of Oregon Business Magazine. The article features quotes from Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melany Savitt, and Melina LaMorticella and…
3.6.2017
Tonkon Torp Immigration Attorneys Speak at NW AILA Conference
Tonkon Torp's immigration attorneys spoke at the Northwest American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA) conference that ran March 2-3. Melina LaMorticella was a co-presenter for an introduction to the basics of employment-based immigration.
2.17.2017
Tonkon Immigration Attorneys Discuss H-1B Caps in Oregon Business Magazine
Tonkon Torp's February 15 "H-1B Cap Breakfast Briefing," put together by Tonkon's Business Immigration practice group, was attended and written up by Kim Moore from Oregon Business Magazine. Alan Perkins, Melany Savitt, and Turid Owren were each…
2.6.2017
Tonkon Torp Focuses on Business Immigration at February Tonkon Talk
At the February 1 Tonkon Talk, attorneys from the firm's Business Immigration practice group spoke about business immigration issues that impact entrepreneurs and startups. Turid Owren, Alan Perkins, Melany Savitt, and Melina LaMorticella covered…
2.2.2017
Business Immigration Attorneys Help Employers Respond to Immigration Ban
As swiftly as the Portland business community offered its response to President Trump’s Executive Orders related to immigration, Tonkon Torp’s Business Immigration attorneys began to roll out guidance and programming to help Oregon companies with…
12.12.2016
Tonkon Torp Immigration Group Helps Employers Prepare for 2017
On November 16, Tonkon Torp's Immigration practice group hosted a breakfast briefing to help employers prepare for visa and green card updates coming in 2017 and to review important immigration recordkeeping requirements that impact all businesses…
9.26.2016
Turid Owren Presents at 2016 AILA Business Immigration Conference
On September 23, Turid Owren spoke at the 2016 American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA) Business Immigration Conference in Toronto, Ontario. Turid and her co-panelists gave an "H-1B Workshop," offering an in-depth examination of the issues…
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…
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…
3.8.2016
Tonkon Torp Sponsors 2016 Power of the Purse Fundraiser
On March 4, Tonkon Torp was a sponsor for the seventh consecutive year at Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest's annual "Power of the Purse" auction. Turid Owren has been a Girls Inc board member since 2012.
10.1.2015
Tonkon Torp Immigration Group Holds Breakfast Briefing
Tonkon Torp's Immigration practice group hosted a breakfast briefing to provide a practical review of immigration recordkeeping requirements that impact all businesses, HR professionals, and employers. The attorneys provided a deep dive into Form I-9…
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…