Michael Willes

In 2021, Tonkon Torp defended its client Sprinklr, Inc. in one of the largest Oregon-based commercial lawsuits to be filed in recent years. The complex case between Sprinklr and plaintiff Opal Labs began in 2017 and involved the high-end technology of two sophisticated companies offering services in content marketing.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon recently dismissed the last criminal charges lingering against Dan Heine, former Bank of Oswego CEO. In 2015, Mr. Heine and Diana Yates, the Bank’s former CFO, were indicted for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making false bank entries during the time they served as officers for the Bank. They both denied any wrongdoing.

Tonkon Torp litigator Michael Willes was a featured panelist at the recent Everlaw Summit held in San Francisco, California. Willes and his co-panelists discussed the future of legal practice in the age of AI and reviewed new industry research on the expected impacts of generative AI on lawyers’ organizational needs and professional development.

Tonkon Torp partner Michael Willes is the author of the Attorney-Client Privilege chapter for the new Courtroom Companion: Oregon Evidence, published by the Oregon State Bar.

Forty-six Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025. Forty-five of the attorneys have been previously named to the peer-review list, and most have been listed for more 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.

Tonkon Torp partner Michael Willes has been elected Vice Chair of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation provides fundraising and community relations support to Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, ensuring the continuation of vital primary care, dental, and pharmacy services to more than 47,000 people in Washington and Yamhill counties.

Two recent lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon illustrate that Oregon banks are none too pleased about HB 4204. This legislation, passed by the Oregon legislature in June 2020, prohibits residential and commercial real estate foreclosures in Oregon from March 8, 2020 until December 31, 2020.[1] The legislation was initially set to expire in September 2020, but was extended by executive order. In response to this legislation, the Oregon Bankers Association (“OBA”) and a number of other banks sued the State of Oregon in August.