Five Tonkon Torp partners have been named 2023 Portland Lawyer of the Year in their respective specialties by The Best Lawyers in America. Only one lawyer per specialty in a community is honored as Lawyer of the Year by the peer-review survey.
The partners recognized for excellence in their practice areas are:
- Owen Blank, Real Estate Law
- Christopher Pallanch, Litigation – Banking & Finance
- Thomas Palmer, Corporate Governance Law
- Steven Wilker, Litigation – First Amendment
- Zachary Wright, Litigation – Environmental
“Our five partners named as Lawyer of the Year are very deserving of the honor and we are proud to have our Portland peers recognize their excellence,” said Kurt Ruttum, Managing Partner. “Owen, Chris, Tom, Steven, and Zach are inspirational leaders in their practice groups and across the firm. They generously offer their time as mentors to rising attorneys and are active in Portland’s legal, business, and charitable communities. Congratulations!”
Owen Blank has an extensive range of legal experience in business, commercial, real estate, and corporate matters. Among the clients he represents are small family-held businesses, national and international corporations, nonprofit organizations, and charitable foundations. His industry experience includes manufacturing, retail, sports, media, entertainment, and technology.
Chris Pallanch is a partner in Tonkon Torp’s Litigation Department and co-chairs the firm’s Financial Services & Investment Management Practice Group. As a trial lawyer, Chris has tried eight- and nine-figure cases to verdict with juries and judges in federal and state court. He has a wide-ranging practice that centers on finding solutions and offering strategic guidance for complex business disputes.
Tom Palmer specializes in securities and corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and private placements. General corporate counseling — including representation of special committees of directors, corporate governance issues, and SEC reporting and disclosure matters — is an important part of his practice.
Steven is Co-Chair of Tonkon Torp’s Litigation Department and its Information Privacy & Security Practice Group. He counsels clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, media communications and technology, information security, energy, corporate governance, real estate, and finance issues.
Zach Wright’s practice focuses on complex business and securities litigation. He also has expertise in regulatory litigation, insurance coverage litigation, and the protection of rights in intellectual property.
Filed under Litigation, Financial Services & Investment Management, Environmental, News & Publications, Real Estate & Land Use