Megan Reuther

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 attorney Robert Koch, Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, won a family law appeal in the Oregon Supreme Court involving a child custody dispute for his client.

Fifteen Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 17 practice groups have been named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Ones to Watch directory. Best Lawyers Ones to Watch is a peer-review honor that acknowledges the professional excellence of attorneys who have been in private practice for less than 10 years.

Thirty-three Tonkon Torp attorneys in 12 practice areas have been included in the 2024 Oregon Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists.

Chambers USA has recognized 28 Tonkon Torp attorneys in eight practice areas in its 2024 Guide.

Seventeen Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 18 practice groups have been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2024 Ones to Watch directory. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch is a peer-review honor that acknowledges the professional excellence of attorneys who have been in private practice for less than 10 years.

Thirty-nine Tonkon Torp attorneys in 12 practice areas have been included in the 2023 Oregon Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists.

During a year in need of some brightness, December brought some great news: after emergency Food and Drug Administration approvals, first Pfizer and then Moderna shipped COVID-19 vaccines to locations throughout the United States, kicking off a mass-immunization campaign that is fast-tracked for delivery across the country.

On November 6, 2020, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OR-OSHA) adopted the Temporary Oregon OSHA COVID-19 Rule (the Rule) aimed at addressing the effects of the pandemic on the workplace. Unless otherwise indicated, the Rule’s provisions will take effect 10 days after adoption – on November 16. OR-OSHA is issuing helpful materials to assist employers to comply with the Rule, change, and, for that reason, Oregon employers should monitor OR-OSHA’s webpage closely and/or sign up for their email alerts here.

On October 23, 2020, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Agency (Or-OSHA) issued its fourth draft of the Temporary Oregon OSHA COVID-19 Rule (the Rule) aimed at addressing the effects of the pandemic on the workplace. The comment period for this latest draft closed on October 30, and OR-OSHA has stated that it intends to adopt the rules this week on November 5.

On September 20, 2018, the Washington Supreme Court considered whether an employer’s payment plan that includes “production minutes” or actual clock time as an employee’s metric, qualifies as a “piece-work plan” under Washington’s Minimum Wage Act (MWA), chapter 49.46 RCW. The Washington court held that, if production is measured by actual clock time, it is not piece work and therefore employers cannot apply workweek averaging to determine minimum wage.

In its May 31, 2018, decision in McLaughlin v. Wilson, 292 Or App 101 (2018), the Oregon Court of Appeals expanded liability for employment retaliation in two ways. The court held that (1) individuals, not just employers, can be primarily liable for retaliation under Oregon law; and (2) retaliation includes post-employment retaliation like the dissemination of negative references.