Services & Industries
Education
J.D., University of Oregon School of Law, 2004, Order of the Coif, Editor-in-Chief, Oregon Law Review
B.A., University of Washington, 2000
Certificate of Mandarin Studies, Nanjing University, 1999
Bar & Court Admissions
Oregon State Bar
Washington State Bar Association
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Washington
U.S. Supreme Court
Anna has a wide-ranging commercial litigation practice that includes contract litigation, business owner disputes, consumer protection matters, and complex tort cases. Over the course of her career, Anna has tried more than a dozen jury trials to verdict in state and federal court, and has ushered hundreds of cases to resolution, through arbitration, motions practice, or settlement. Anna serves on Tonkon Torp’s Managing Board and recently concluded a tenure as Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department.
In addition to her litigation practice, Anna is an active member of the community, currently serving on the board of directors of Oregon Humanities and the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar Litigation Section. She previously sat on the boards of Emerge Oregon, Northwest Professional Dance Project, and Photolucida. She also served as a Commissioner on the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. Anna regularly handles pro bono matters on behalf of clients in need.
Anna is a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers, an honor society that maintains a worldwide membership of less than 750 trial lawyers deemed by their peers and judges to be “outstanding in the field of advocacy.” Super Lawyers lists Anna among the top 50 Oregon lawyers and top 25 Oregon women lawyers. She is also listed in Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA for her work in commercial litigation.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp, Anna was a law clerk for The Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin, on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Representative Matters
Complex Commercial Litigation
- Defended retailer GNC against significant claims brought by the State of Oregon under the Oregon Unfair Trade Practices Act and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, based on sales of dietary supplements in Oregon.
- Following a seven-week jury trial, secured a complete victory for XPO, fka Con-way, an American multinational freight transportation company. At issue was the question of responsibility for some portion of defense and indemnity costs associated with three Superfund sites, including the Portland Harbor, and over 1,500 asbestos lawsuits.
- Defended SVC, a subsidiary of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, in a $105,000,000 breach of contract action filed by the City of Albany after SVC terminated a development agreement pursuant to which SVC was to build a Gatorade plant in Albany, Oregon.
- Represented Columbia Helicopters in a dispute over Boeing’s refusal to sell Boeing helicopter parts to Oregon-based Columbia Helicopters, to allow Columbia to fulfill its contracts to repair Boeing-manufactured military CH-47 Chinook helicopters. To resolve threatened antitrust litigation, Boeing ultimately agreed to recognize Columbia Helicopters as an independent service organization and provide Columbia with Boeing parts to perform CH-47 repair services.
Product Liability & Torts
- Defended a national product manufacturer, its parent company, and a national online retailer against product liability claims of approximately $100 million, with parties and witnesses spanning 10 U.S. jurisdictions and three countries. Ultimately resolved the matter for a small fraction of claimed damages.
- Defended a national wearable device manufacturer against claims that one of its products was dangerously defective. Following a multi-day arbitration, received a complete defense victory.
- Defended a product manufacturer in Washington State in multiple cases against claims that its product was dangerously defective, leading to favorable settlements.
- Oversaw and managed asbestos claims brought against multiple clients, working cooperatively with appointed insurance defense counsel.
- Tried to a jury verdict Oregon’s first “trespass to produce” claim on behalf of a commercial dairy farm, resulting in clarifying Oregon’s timber trespass statutory scheme.
Shareholder & Corporate Disputes
- Assisted a company in redeeming its former CEO’s shares after a dispute over valuation by leveraging Oregon’s dissenters’ rights statutes and petitioning the court for a judicial appraisal, resulting in a reasonable parting of ways.
- Following a two-week jury trial in Central Oregon, protected the majority owners of a manufacturing company from a minority shareholder who refused to redeem minority shares under a shareholder agreement, resulting in an award to our clients of specific performance, a new share valuation, and significant attorney fees.
- Helped a majority member of an LLC wrest back control of a large recycling outfit after a minority member took illegitimate steps to lock the majority member out of the business. We helped by finalizing an unfinished business transaction and cleaning up corporate record-keeping prior to arbitration.
Consumer Protection
- Brought claims on behalf of an individual consumer in a successful federal lawsuit against a large credit card company for unlawful practices under the Fair Credit Billing Act and Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act. Following a federal jury trial, successfully appealed statutory claims to the Ninth Circuit, leading to a favorable settlement.
- Defended multiple national companies in consumer protection matters instigated by the State of Oregon, including claims under the Oregon Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Other Trial Experience
- Defended regional hospital system against safety whistle-blower and wrongful discharge claims in a two-week jury trial in southern Oregon, establishing a high bar for the establishment of employer liability under the “cat’s paw” legal theory.
- Defended business owner against breach of contract claims relating to the sale of a sports-bar business in a one-week jury trial.
- Represented a secured creditor against guarantors of multi-million dollar promissory notes in a week-long jury trial in Oregon state court, securing a large judgment and attorney fee award for our client.
Featured Work
The Ramos Project
In April 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down non-unanimous jury convictions in criminal cases in Ramos v. Louisiana. A shameful carryover from the Jim Crow era, Louisiana and Oregon were the last two states that allowed non-unanimous criminal convictions when as many as two jurors believed a defendant was innocent. Overnight, more than 260 cases in Oregon became eligible to seek post-conviction relief for unconstitutional non-unanimous convictions. Housed in the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC) at Lewis & Clark Law School, the Ramos Project is a statewide pro-bono initiative providing legal assistance to those seeking redress.
Tonkon Torp Guides Pacific Foods through Oregon’s Largest Acquisition of 2017
Tonkon Torp led Oregon’s largest M&A transaction in 2017, the $700 million acquisition of Tualatin-based Pacific Foods of Oregon LLC by Campbell Investment Company. Pacific Foods is an iconic, nationally distributed organic food brand founded in 1987.
Tonkon Torp Wins Complicated Civil Trial for Con-way
In arguably one of the biggest and most complicated civil trials in Portland, Tonkon Torp secured a complete jury trial victory for Con-way, a $5.5 billion American multinational freight transportation company. Find details and more featured cases here.
Community Involvement & Activities
Oregon Humanities
Board Member
Oregon Law Center and Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Pro Bono Volunteer
Oregon State Bar Litigation Section
Executive Committee Member
Oregon State Bar Litigation Journal
Editorial Board
Photolucida
Advisory Board Member
OSB Committee on Federal Practice & Procedure
Past Chair of the Pro Bono Subcommittee
Member
Oregon Government Ethics Commission
2019-2021, Commissioner
Emerge Oregon
Past Board Member
Business for Culture and the Arts
Art of Leadership Program 2011
Northwest Dance Project
Past Board Member
Professional Memberships
American Bar Association
Gus J. Solomon Inn of Court
International Society of Barristers
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Oregon Women Lawyers
The Best Lawyers in America
2022-2024, Commercial Litigation
2022-2024, Litigation – Insurance
2022-2024, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Super Lawyers
2022-2023, Top 25 Women Oregon Super Lawyers
2022-2023, Top 50 Oregon Super Lawyers
2017-2023, Oregon Super Lawyer – Business Litigation
2013-2016, Oregon Rising Star – Business Litigation
Portland Business Journal
2017, Forty Under 40
Daily Journal of Commerce
2012, “Up & Coming Lawyer” Portland, Oregon
Multnomah Bar Association
2007, Pro Bono Award of Merit
Recent News
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2024 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024. All of the attorneys have been previously named to the peer-review list, and most have been listed for more than 10 years.
Attorneys Anna Sortun and Jeff Cronn Elected to Tonkon Torp’s Managing Board
Tonkon Torp elected Anna Sortun and Jeffrey Cronn to the firm’s Managing Board, effective July 1, 2023.
39 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2023 Super Lawyers Lists
Thirty-nine Tonkon Torp attorneys in 12 practice areas have been included in the 2023 Oregon Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists.
Chambers USA 2023 Ranks 26 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Chambers USA has recognized 26 Tonkon Torp attorneys in eight practice areas in its Chambers USA 2023 Guide.
AG Rosenblum, Tonkon Torp, and Oregon Law Firms Launch Reproductive Rights Hotline
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today announced the launch of the Oregon Reproductive Rights Hotline, a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Oregon Department of Justice and staffed by local law firms, including Tonkon Torp.
Publications & Presentations
Panelist, “Closing Arguments,” Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, October 2021
Panelist, “Career Exploration: Strategies for Success in Private Practice with Mid-to-Large-sized Firms,” Oregon State Bar Leadership Institute, October 2021
“Depositions,” Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, February 2021
“Appellate Considerations for Trial Counsel,” Litigation Journal, Fall 2020
Moderator, “Tools to Survive the COVID-19 Economy: CARES Act SBA Loans, Employment Laws, and Corporate Issues,” April 2020
“Closely Held Business Disputes from the Practitioner’s Perspective,” OSB Business Litigation Section, March 2019
“Best Practices in Crafting and Defending Buy-Sell Provisions,” OSB Business Law Section, June 2018
“An Underused Defense Tool?: Special Motions to Strike,” Litigation Journal, 2011
Co-Author, “‘Relevant Background Evidence’ is Swallowing Rule: Applying FRE 404 in Discrimination Cases,” Litigation Journal, 2006
“Rebutting the Parental Presumption in Oregon,” 82 OR. L. Rev. 1191, 2003