Lauren Bernton

“Lauren and team delivered a fantastic result [in a ~$10 million dispute], and everyone internally was impressed with the level of advocacy. Whenever I need assistance in Oregon, they will always be my first call, and I will absolutely sing their praises to other in-house counsel any chance I get.” Chief Legal Officer of diversified private company & former Am Law 50 attorney.

Lauren Bernton is a partner in Tonkon Torp’s Litigation Department and Co-Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Disputes Group. Lauren is a seasoned commercial litigator with a strong track record successfully helping clients navigate high-stakes disputes. She represents international and regional businesses in all types of commercial disputes, with a strong emphasis on complex real estate litigation.

Lauren has substantial trial experience, having litigated cases through trial in state, federal, arbitration, and administrative settings. Guided by the practical insight she’s gained representing clients across diverse industries, her client-centered approach blends trial-ready advocacy with strategic dispute resolution methods. Lauren is most energized when the pressure is on and the results carry real impact.

Selected Work Highlights:

• On behalf of a publicly listed company in the industrial sector, Lauren tried a case against the Oregon Department of Revenue that resulted in a favorable $8 million reduction of the taxable real market value assessed by the State.
• In a complex, multi-year bankruptcy litigation involving recovery of preferential and fraudulent transfers, Lauren secured a trial victory recovering all transfers, defeating all counterclaims, and fully vindicating her client’s position.
• On behalf of real estate investor, Lauren litigated a multi-million-dollar, multi-party real estate dispute that resulted in favorable purchase terms for her client of disputed real property.
• Lauren was an integral member of the trial team that defeated a contested receivership proceeding to ensure that a well-known commercial asset in Portland’s downtown core stayed with local ownership. The result paved the way for a deal that kept the building in local hands and that Governor Kotek commented on in the press as “a powerful vote of confidence in our downtown.”
• Successfully defended $850,000.00 claims in week-long jury trial.

She also strives to maintain an active pro bono practice. In her pro bono work, she has advocated for Oregonians whose homes were destroyed by wildfires, and volunteered time to the National Crime Victim Law Institute to advise and support victims of hate crimes.

Lauren is an Associate Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society in which membership is limited to 3,500 fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. She is listed by Super Lawyers as an Oregon Rising Star, and as “One to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation. In 2026, Lauren was honored as one of the Portland Business Journal’s 40 under 40, which is an award given to professionals under the age of 40 to recognize early career achievement and community involvement.

She is regularly invited to speak on panels, give presentations, or contribute to publications. In fall of 2024, she was invited to serve as a guest instructor for Lewis & Clark Law School’s Integrated Evidence and Trial Advocacy course. In 2025, she was featured as a speaker at the 2025 Real Estate Conference hosted by the Oregon Society of CPAs. In 2026, she was invited to speak to the UO Football Program as part of University of Oregon’s DISCOVER U program, the UO’s flagship player-development event, designed to prepare student-athletes for success beyond the game of football.

Lauren is a co-author of “Receiverships: Oregon,” a practical law supplement published by Thompson Reuters. Thomspon Reuters is a platform that is well regarded for high-quality legal research.

Lauren has served as a mentor for the Oregon State Bar’s New Lawyer Mentoring Program, through which the Oregon Supreme Court appoints attorneys who have a reputation for competence and professionalism to mentor new attorneys during their first year of practice. Lauren is on the Board of Directors for Chess for Success, an organization that uses chess as a tool to build community and connection.

Lauren earned her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif (an honor for graduates finishing in the top 10 percentile of their class) and serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Oregon International Law Review. Lauren was an O’Connell Fellow with the Public Law and Policy program and a recipient of the Laird Kirkpatrick Book Prize. During law school, she worked for the United States Department of Justice, in the United States Attorney’s Office. Lauren remains connected with the University of Oregon School of Law, where she has spoken as a panelist for programs hosted by the Business Law Program and the Career Center.

Outside the courtroom, Lauren stays active through tennis and exploring Oregon’s natural landscapes. She enjoys live music and spending time with her husband and daughter.