On October 14, Tonkon Torp Partner James Hein was honored with the 2020 Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) Pro Bono Award of Merit. The award was presented at the virtual MBA Annual Meeting to five lawyers whose efforts and community spirit have made a meaningful impact and serve as positive examples of how important it is to provide pro bono services to clients who cannot otherwise afford access to justice.
James is the Chair of Tonkon Torp’s Pro Bono Committee and has provided significant pro bono service for Legal Aid Services of Oregon and the
Oregon Law Center. He also shares his business law acumen with local business owners as a pro bono volunteer for the Small Business Legal Clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School. James is further active in the community as a board member of Transition Projects, which provides individuals with services, resources, and tools to help end their homelessness, secure housing, and maintain that housing.
In the September issue of Multnomah Lawyer, James shared his perspective on the value and need for pro bono work: “Tonkon founding partner Don Marmaduke once described pro bono as a duty of every member of the bar; it’s the obligation we incur in exchange for the privilege of participating in the monopoly on legal services. I completely agree.” James said. “I came from a working-class family and never knew any lawyers before attending law school. I see now the significant impact we can have on people’s lives and think it’s imperative that we give back. We are privileged to be in this position.”
James’s business and corporate law practice involves counseling clients through all stages of growth, with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and sales of businesses. His experience includes entity formation and structure, corporate finance, commercial law, and contracts.
