Robyn Ridler Aoyagi has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown to serve on the Oregon Court of Appeals. Her last day with Tonkon Torp was Friday, July 14 and she took the oath of office on Monday, July 17. Aoyagi’s 17-year practice focused on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on appellate litigation. She was named a partner of the firm in 2007, and is the first Tonkon Torp lawyer to join the bench at the appellate or trial level.
“I am beyond thrilled to receive this appointment,” said Aoyagi. “Becoming an appellate judge is a professional dream come true. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to serve the people of Oregon.”
Aoyagi is actively engaged in Oregon’s legal community. She was a member of the Oregon State Bar (OSB) Appellate Practice Section Executive Committee from 2011 to 2017, serving as its chair in 2015. She also served as a Region 5 delegate to the OSB House of Delegates from 2010 to 2014. At the national level, Aoyagi was an elected member of the Executive Board of the American Bar Association Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) from 2014 to 2017, where she chaired a national project on recommendations and best practices for e-briefing.
Tonkon Torp Managing Partner Darcy Norville shared the firm’s sentiments on the appointment: “Robyn’s appointment is an extraordinary honor. Our loss of an extremely talented legal analyst, brief-writer, and appellate arguer is the judiciary’s notable gain. We wish her the best as she steps onto the bench.”
Aoyagi was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Roswell, New Mexico. She joined Tonkon Torp in 2000 after clerking for the Honorable John M. Steadman on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Aoyagi spent two years as a summer associate at Tonkon Torp, first as a law student in 1998 and again in 1999 after graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Tufts University.
